Racial Tension Rampant In Jacksonville After Black Boys Are Kicked Out Of Fair For Wearing Memorial Apparel

An 18-year-old black man and his friend were kicked out of the Greater Jacksonville Agriculture Fair, without refund or apology, for their attire. 

The two friends, who are members of the black male empowerment group, EVAC, were going about their business on November 3 when police officers approached one of them and questioned the chain he was wearing around his neck. The jewelry honored his late mother. The officers said the chain was "gang-related" apparel.

"There were like four officers. They approached us, and the first one told us to pull up my pants, and the second one told my friend and said, 'Let me see that,’ and he told him that it was his mom and it wasn’t even his friend, it was his mom," he told News4Jax. "They told us to get out."

The next day, one of the guys headed back to the fair to double-check the rule board for any established rules around attire. There were none. Then, he called to clarify he has yet to see any rules that justify the reason for him and his friend's removal from the fair. 

Shortly after his phone call, a sign prohibiting "memorial clothing or jewelry" was posted. According to News4Jax, fair officials claim the sign was put up before the fair opened October 31.

 

racial profiling. Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for the Jacksonville Fair, Gayle Hart, called it a “sensitive” situation that has unfortunately “caused a lot of grief.”’ data-reactid=”32″ type=”text”>“It’s used purposely to prey upon and keep out African-Americans in the community,” Donofrio said. On the contrary, Gayle Hart, a spokeswoman for the fair, said this is a sensitive situation that has caused a lot of grief. Hart also said the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office banned the clothing and jewelry because it's associated with "bad behavior."

racial profiling. Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for the Jacksonville Fair, Gayle Hart, called it a “sensitive” situation that has unfortunately “caused a lot of grief.”’ data-reactid=”32″ type=”text”>“It said we can’t wear them. Basically, no necklaces, none of that,” said Jarod Mills, a Lee High School senior, about the school's decision. “They don’t feel it’s appropriate for the school.”

racial profiling. Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for the Jacksonville Fair, Gayle Hart, called it a “sensitive” situation that has unfortunately “caused a lot of grief.”’ data-reactid=”32″ type=”text”>

racial profiling.\u003C/a> Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for the Jacksonville Fair, Gayle Hart, called it a “sensitive” situation that has unfortunately “caused a lot of grief.”’ data-reactid=”32″ type=”text”>The incident has sparked tensions in the Jacksonville community between civilians and police. Amy Donofrio, the founder of EVAC, is calling the case for what it is: racial profiling.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp content='The incident has created great tension in the community, with a mentor for the teens, Amy Donofrio, calling it a case of \u003Ca href=\"https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/tagged/racial-profiling\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">racial profiling.\u003C/a> Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for the Jacksonville Fair, Gayle Hart, called it a “sensitive” situation that has unfortunately “caused a lot of grief.”’ data-reactid=”32″ type=”text”>“It’s used purposely to prey upon and keep out African-Americans in the community,” Donofrio said. On the contrary, Gayle Hart, a spokeswoman for the fair, said this is a sensitive situation that has caused a lot of grief. Hart also said the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office banned the clothing and jewelry because it's associated with "bad behavior."\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp content='The incident has created great tension in the community, with a mentor for the teens, Amy Donofrio, calling it a case of \u003Ca href=\"https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/tagged/racial-profiling\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">racial profiling.\u003C/a> Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for the Jacksonville Fair, Gayle Hart, called it a “sensitive” situation that has unfortunately “caused a lot of grief.”’ data-reactid=”32″ type=”text”>The banning of "memorial clothing and jewelry" did not just stop at the fair but \u003Ca href=\"https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/jacksonville/lee-high-school-students-reminded-not-to-wear-anything-with-rip\">matriculated to Robert E. Lee high\u003C/a> school, as well. The high school's officials told News4Jax the \u003Ca href=\"https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/jacksonville/lee-high-school-students-reminded-not-to-wear-anything-with-rip\">reason for banning the items\u003C/a> is because "gang-affiliated clothing and paraphernalia is unacceptable," referring to any R.I.P. attire. \u003C/p>\n\u003Cp content='The incident has created great tension in the community, with a mentor for the teens, Amy Donofrio, calling it a case of \u003Ca href=\"https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/tagged/racial-profiling\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">racial profiling.\u003C/a> Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for the Jacksonville Fair, Gayle Hart, called it a “sensitive” situation that has unfortunately “caused a lot of grief.”’ data-reactid=”32″ type=”text”>“It said we can’t wear them. Basically, no necklaces, none of that,” said Jarod Mills, a Lee High School senior, about the school's decision. “They don’t feel it’s appropriate for the school.”\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp content='The incident has created great tension in the community, with a mentor for the teens, Amy Donofrio, calling it a case of \u003Ca href=\"https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/tagged/racial-profiling\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">racial profiling.\u003C/a> Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for the Jacksonville Fair, Gayle Hart, called it a “sensitive” situation that has unfortunately “caused a lot of grief.”’ data-reactid=”32″ type=”text”>The west Jacksonville school has yet to comment on the ban, and its attempt to shut down the students' expression in honoring lost loved ones has been the tip of the iceberg and caused several students to organize protests. \u003C/p>\n\u003Cp content='The incident has created great tension in the community, with a mentor for the teens, Amy Donofrio, calling it a case of \u003Ca href=\"https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/tagged/racial-profiling\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">racial profiling.\u003C/a> Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for the Jacksonville Fair, Gayle Hart, called it a “sensitive” situation that has unfortunately “caused a lot of grief.”’ data-reactid=”32″ type=”text”>\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp content='The incident has created great tension in the community, with a mentor for the teens, Amy Donofrio, calling it a case of \u003Ca href=\"https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/tagged/racial-profiling\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">racial profiling.\u003C/a> Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for the Jacksonville Fair, Gayle Hart, called it a “sensitive” situation that has unfortunately “caused a lot of grief.”’ data-reactid=”32″ type=”text”>\u003Cem>Now, check these out:\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/employees-at-a-frozen-yogurt-shop-called-cops-on-an-unwanted-subject-that-subject-was-a-black-man\">Employees At A Frozen Yogurt Shop Called Cops On An 'Unwanted Subject.' That 'Subject' Was A Black Man.\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/maryland-couple-racially-profiled-while-buying-refrigerator-files-4m-lawsuit\">Maryland Couple Racially Profiled While Shopping At Costco Files $4M Lawsuit\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/a-black-teen-was-arrested-for-wearing-a-hoodie-in-a-memphis-mall-and-so-was-the-person-defending-him\">A Black Teen Was Arrested For Wearing A Hoodie In A Memphis Mall And So Was The Person Defending Him\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\n",[22],{"name":23,"slug":24,"id":25},"News","news",83,[27],{"id":28,"name":29,"slug":30,"description":9,"image":9},29035,"Tallahassee, Florida","tallahassee-florida",{"url":32,"thumbnail":32,"credit":33,"title":9,"alt":9,"type":34},"https://res.cloudinary.com/blavity/image/upload/v1543442533/ow5walspoe9xknpc4kwz","Twitter","image","2018-11-28T16:43:57-05:00","default",[],false,{"disableAd":38,"disableConnatixPlayer":38,"enabledComments":40,"headScript":41},true,null,{"list":43,"total":192},[44,101,139],{"id":45,"author":46,"authors":52,"title":54,"subTitle":9,"excerpt":9,"slug":55,"body":56,"categories":57,"tags":66,"featuredMedia":86,"publishedAt":92,"updatedAt":93,"type":94,"listicle":95,"disableContentGate":38,"isDisabledListicleNumbers":40,"canonicalUrl":9,"socialThumbnail":9,"additional":100},72794084,{"id":47,"avatar":48,"firstName":9,"lastName":9,"displayName":49,"email":50,"username":49,"description":9,"twitter":9,"facebook":9,"instagram":9,"registeredAt":51},95243,"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/6b70cbbfaa51ffae849c5f55a17e678a?s=1024&r=g","Christopher Rhodes","[email protected]","2020-09-14T00:00:00+00:00",[53],{"id":47,"avatar":48,"firstName":9,"lastName":9,"displayName":49,"email":50,"username":49,"description":9,"twitter":9,"facebook":9,"instagram":9,"registeredAt":51},"Colin Allred And Ted Cruz Debate, Explained: One Of The Most Important Senate Races Of The Year","collin-allred-ted-cruz-debate","\n\u003Cp>The candidates for one of the country’s most important Senate races of the year squared off Tuesday night in a debate in \u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/sleeping-stickers-texas-teachers\">Texas\u003C/a>. \u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/ted-cruz-greeted-boos-middle-fingers-yankee-stadium\">GOP Sen. Ted Cruz\u003C/a> and his Democratic rival, U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, faced off in a tense debate as Texas prepares to begin early voting ahead of November’s election. The debate proved to be contentious, with Allred landing a number of attacks against Cruz.\u003C/p>\n",[58,62],{"name":59,"slug":60,"id":61},"Culture","culture",118,{"name":63,"slug":64,"id":65},"Politics","politics",120,[67,71,75,78,82],{"id":68,"name":69,"slug":70,"description":9,"image":9},72802,"Colin Allred","colin-allred",{"id":72,"name":73,"slug":74,"description":9,"image":9},10830,"Debate","debate",{"id":76,"name":77,"slug":77,"description":9,"image":9},4292,"senate",{"id":79,"name":80,"slug":81,"description":9,"image":9},21685,"Ted Cruz","ted-cruz-2",{"id":83,"name":84,"slug":85,"description":9,"image":9},44529,"top stories","top-stories",{"url":87,"thumbnail":88,"credit":89,"title":90,"alt":91,"type":34},"https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/GettyImages-2176546693.jpg","https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/GettyImages-2176546693-150x100.jpg","Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images","Democratic Senate Candidate Colin Allred Campaigns In San Antonio","Democratic U.S. Senate candidate, U.S. Rep. Colin Allred (D-TX) speaks to the media at a campaign event that saw volunteers man phones on October 03, 2024 in San Antonio, Texas.","2024-10-17T09:07:16-04:00","2024-10-17T09:09:36-04:00","listicle",[96,98],{"title":9,"content":97},"\u003Ch2>‘The only position he ever played was left out’\u003C/h2>\n\u003Cp>Throughout the \u003Ca href=\"https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2024/10/16/key-takeaways-from-the-combative-ted-cruz-colin-allred-debate/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">debate\u003C/a>, each candidate attempted to portray himself as a bipartisan centrist and his opponent as an extremist. Allred pointed to his track record of sponsoring bipartisan legislation, while Cruz attempted to paint Allred as a close ally of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Cruz also attacked Allred over transgender rights, including the issue of trans athletes, a hot-button topic that Cruz and other Republicans have used to fire up their base and to paint Democrats as socially extreme. The exchange gave Allred, who played pro football for four years with the Tennessee Titans and has served in Congress since 2019, an opening to land a zinger against Cruz, saying that Cruz shouldn’t talk about sports because “the only position he ever played was left out.”\u003C/p>\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n\u003Cp lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">On the transgender issue , \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/tedcruz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@tedcruz\u003C/a> spews what \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/ColinAllredTX?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@ColinAllredTX\u003C/a> calls lies and distraction by Cruz. Allred explains his view. \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/hashtag/Texas?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Texas\u003C/a> \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/hashtag/Election2024?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Election2024\u003C/a> \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/hashtag/Transgender?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Transgender\u003C/a> \u003Ca href=\"https://t.co/oX8jOKCegP\">pic.twitter.com/oX8jOKCegP\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>— Rebecca Aguilar (@RebeccaAguilar) \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/RebeccaAguilar/status/1846350065033433520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 16, 2024\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003C/blockquote>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cscript async src=\"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\">\u003C/script>\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>In discussing his own record, Cruz pointed toward work with Democrats such as Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock, while also touting his cooperation with former President Donald Trump, who has been polling more strongly than Cruz recently. The connection between Cruz and Trump gave Allred an opening to tie Cruz to the Jan. 6 insurrection. Allred recounted texting his then-pregnant wife, “Whatever happens, I love you,” and preparing to fight the invading Trump supporters while Ted Cruz, who had supported Trump’s false claims about the 2020 election, “was hiding in a supply closet.”\u003C/p>\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n\u003Cp lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">On January 6, I got ready to defend my colleagues and texted my wife: “Whatever happens, I love you.”\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>Ted Cruz was hiding in a supply closet. If you summon a mob to overturn a free and fair election, you should lose your job. This election is his accountability.\u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/hashtag/TXSenateDebate?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#TXSenateDebate\u003C/a> \u003Ca href=\"https://t.co/Fufk5I5Z7k\">pic.twitter.com/Fufk5I5Z7k\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>— Colin Allred (@ColinAllredTX) \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/ColinAllredTX/status/1846349831951786128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 16, 2024\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003C/blockquote>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cscript async src=\"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\">\u003C/script>\u003C/p>\n",{"title":9,"content":99},"\u003Ch2>‘All hat and no cattle’\u003C/h2>\n\u003Cp>Allred repeatedly painted Cruz as a right-wing extremist and an ineffectual leader. He hit Cruz on abortion rights. Texas has one of the nation’s most restrictive abortion laws, which Cruz has supported, and Allred tied him to the impact that these restrictions have had on women in the state.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n\u003Cp lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Allred: He just looked into a camera and lied to Texans.. you should look into camera and speak to Kate Cox and explain to her why you said it’s perfectly reasonable why she was forced to leave her two children behind and flee our state to receive care \u003Ca href=\"https://t.co/yVYKMk61f3\">pic.twitter.com/yVYKMk61f3\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>— Acyn (@Acyn) \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/Acyn/status/1846343109447504073?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 16, 2024\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003C/blockquote>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cscript async src=\"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\">\u003C/script>\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>Allred attacked Cruz on not doing more to fix the border security problem, including rejecting a tough bipartisan border security bill that Trump opposed. He also reminded viewers of a controversial incident when Cruz left Texas for Cancún, Mexico, during a 2021 \u003Ca href=\"https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/ted-cruz-senate-race-cancun-colin-allred-b2624024.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">winter storm\u003C/a> that killed over 200 people and left millions without power in Texas. “This is a pattern for him. He’s never there for us when we need him.”\u003C/p>\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n\u003Cp lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Colin Allred is having a remarkably effective debate against Ted Cruz. Just eviscerating his all hat and no cattle views on immigration. \u003Ca href=\"https://t.co/WH3xs7ijgP\">pic.twitter.com/WH3xs7ijgP\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>— Matt McDermott (@mattmfm) \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/mattmfm/status/1846345369820844494?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 16, 2024\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003C/blockquote>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cscript async src=\"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\">\u003C/script>\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>Overall, Allred painted Cruz as someone who “talks tough, but he never shows up,” using a Texas phrase to describe Cruz: “All hat and no cattle.”\u003C/p>\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n\u003Cp lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Ted Cruz is all hat, no cattle. \u003Ca href=\"https://t.co/f2UOnpw4SC\">pic.twitter.com/f2UOnpw4SC\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>— Colin Allred (@ColinAllredTX) \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/ColinAllredTX/status/1846361144249717207?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 16, 2024\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003C/blockquote>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cscript async src=\"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\">\u003C/script>\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>Texas, despite not electing a Democrat to statewide office in decades, has emerged as a battleground state that could have a huge impact on both Congress and the presidential race. The Senate contest in Texas is tight, with Cruz enjoying a narrow \u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/entertainment/boarders-season-2-first-look-images-wunmi-mosaku\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">lead\u003C/a> over Allred prior to Tuesday’s debate. Now that both candidates have had the chance to face off against each other, Cruz will continue fighting to hold his seat, while Allred hopes that his strong debate performance will help him pull off an upset victory in November.\u003C/p>\n",{"disableAd":38,"disableConnatixPlayer":38,"enabledComments":38,"headScript":9},{"id":102,"author":103,"authors":112,"title":114,"subTitle":9,"excerpt":9,"slug":115,"body":116,"categories":117,"tags":119,"featuredMedia":129,"publishedAt":135,"updatedAt":136,"type":94,"listicle":137,"disableContentGate":38,"isDisabledListicleNumbers":38,"canonicalUrl":9,"socialThumbnail":9,"additional":138},72794330,{"id":104,"avatar":105,"firstName":106,"lastName":107,"displayName":108,"email":109,"username":110,"description":9,"twitter":9,"facebook":9,"instagram":9,"registeredAt":111},100543,"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/450fb1f727feb2b1fe2eae9d487c735f?s=1024&r=g","Jeanne","Yacoubou","Jeanne Yacoubou","[email protected]","JeanneYacoubou","2024-08-07T22:54:53+00:00",[113],{"id":104,"avatar":105,"firstName":106,"lastName":107,"displayName":108,"email":109,"username":110,"description":9,"twitter":9,"facebook":9,"instagram":9,"registeredAt":111},"These U.S. States Are Fighting Climate Crimes With Superfund Laws","climate-crimes-superfund-laws","\n\u003Cp>As growing numbers of Americans watch helplessly as their homes and cities become engulfed in flames or inundated by floods intensified by climate change, they are increasingly demanding that their lawmakers force polluters to foot the bill for these climate crimes. A June 2024 poll by \u003Ca href=\"https://www.dataforprogress.org/blog/2024/6/11/prosecuting-climate-homicide-voters-support-holding-fossil-fuel-giants-legally-accountable-for-climate-change\">Data for Progress\u003C/a> found 62% of Americans believe so.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Who are climate criminals? The legislation is targeted at fossil fuel companies, having known for \u003Ca href=\"https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abk0063\">over fifty years\u003C/a> that their products would release carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas contributing to the climate crisis, when burned. These corporations, heavily subsidized and paying little to no tax, forbade their scientists from reporting the truth about their products to the public and sowed doubt about climate change through slick marketing tactics that continue to this day.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile companies like Exxon, Chevron, BP, and Shell rake in a combined \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.ucsusa.org/shaina-sadai/fossil-fuel-companies-make-billions-in-profit-as-we-suffer-billions-in-losses-2024-edition/\">$100 billion\u003C/a> or more in profits every year.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In 2024, a few states responded to the public’s demands for legislative action by enacting Make Polluters Pay laws that require fossil fuel companies to contribute to climate superfunds. This money is designated for infrastructure upgrades including more resilient stormwater drainage systems or roads as well as building improvements such as energy-efficient heating and cooling systems in schools or public housing. Sometimes, a significant portion is earmarked for initiatives in disadvantaged communities damaged by climatic events.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>All of these climate superfund laws take their inspiration from the \u003Ca href=\"https://blogs.law.columbia.edu/climatechange/2024/03/14/state-climate-superfund-bills-what-you-need-to-know/\">Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act\u003C/a> of 1980, often called the Superfund law.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Climate change superfund laws follow on the heels of dozens of state- and city-initiated lawsuits, each seeking damages from fossil fuel companies for climatic catastrophes in their jurisdictions but moving slowly through the courts since 2017.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In this article, we’ll showcase the U.S. states fighting climate crimes with superfund laws.     \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-vermont-leads-in-fighting-climate-crimes\">\u003Cstrong>Vermont leads in fighting climate crimes\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Long believed to be a climate haven, immune to floods or fire worsened by climate change, the Green Mountain State experienced two catastrophic flood events within a 12-month period. So far, the total cost to Vermont arising from those two most recent flood events is estimated to be over $2.2 billion.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Overwhelmed by recovery costs, lawmakers passed the bill in May 2024, ordering the creation of a \u003Ca href=\"https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2024/Docs/BILLS/S-0259/S-0259%20As%20Introduced.pdf\">Climate Superfund Cost Recovery Program\u003C/a>, seeking partial relief from the companies in proportion to their share of global greenhouse gas emissions over a 19-year period. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Republican governor Phil Scott allowed the law’s passage although he did not sign it.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-new-york-is-the-second-to-pass-a-climate-superfund-law\">\u003Cstrong>New York is the second to pass a climate superfund law\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Within a week after Vermont’s historic climate action, New York passed a similar law, the \u003Ca href=\"https://nyassembly.gov/leg/?default_fld=&leg_video=&bn=S02129&term=2023&Summary=Y&Actions=Y&Committee%26nbspVotes=Y&Floor%26nbspVotes=Y&Memo=Y&Text=Y&LFIN=Y&Chamber%26nbspVideo%2FTranscript=Y\">Climate Change Superfund Act\u003C/a>, that would raise $3 billion annually over the next 25 years for climate change adaptation and mitigation. The law mandates fees based on the proportion of emissions by each of 36 companies that do business in the state, ranging from $200,000 to $644 million. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Democratic governor Kathy Hochul has yet to act on the passed bill.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-state-and-federal-action-fighting-climate-crimes\">\u003Cstrong>State and federal action fighting climate crimes\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Following Vermont and New York, three other states—California, Massachusetts, and Maryland—have introduced climate superfund laws in 2024. They are stymied in committee or shelved from a floor vote for now, indicative of the politically controversial nature of such bills, despite published \u003Ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-05-21/la-polluters-pay-climate-cost-recovery-act-california\">opinions\u003C/a> of leading newspapers that “It’s time for them to sacrifice some of their huge profits to clean up the environmental mess they helped create.” \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Seeking a federal response to alleviate the severe economic hardships confronting states and cities dealt a bad hand by the climate crisis, Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland and Representatives Jerry Nadler of New York and Judy Chu of California introduced the \u003Ca href=\"https://www.vanhollen.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/polluters_pay_climate_fund_act_two-pager1.pdf\">Polluters Pay Climate Fund Act\u003C/a> in September 2024. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“From sweltering heat waves to rising sea levels to ever more intense storms, our planet is screaming out every day for us to take action on global warming. And after fueling the climate crisis for decades, big polluters can no longer run from their responsibility to address the harm they have done. The principle behind this legislation is simple but very powerful–polluters should pay to clean up the mess they made and build a more resilient future, and those who have polluted the most should pay the most,” said \u003Ca href=\"https://www.vanhollen.senate.gov/news/press-releases/van-hollen-nadler-chu-introduce-legislation-to-make-polluters-pay-for-fueling-climate-change\">Senator Chris Van Hollen\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>If passed, the bill would require both American and foreign-owned fossil fuel companies doing business in the U.S. to contribute to a $1 trillion Polluters Pay Climate Fund, proportional to their global greenhouse gas emissions. As of this writing, the bill is in committee.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-potential-challenges-to-climate-superfund-laws\">\u003Cstrong>Potential challenges to climate superfund laws\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Fossil fuel industry representatives have already indicated that the states’ climate superfund laws are unjust. Some of the \u003Ca href=\"https://blogs.law.columbia.edu/climatechange/2024/03/14/state-climate-superfund-bills-what-you-need-to-know/\">legal arguments\u003C/a> they advance include:\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>State laws are preempted by federal laws such as the Clean Air Act (CAA). The U.S. Supreme Court \u003Ca href=\"https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/features/the-supreme-court-curbed-epas-power-to-regulate-carbon-emissions-from-power-plants-what-comes-next/\">weakened the CAA in 2022\u003C/a> by ruling the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) cannot regulate greenhouse gases under the Act. However, in \u003Ca href=\"https://www.scotusblog.com/2024/10/supreme-court-allows-epa-emissions-rule-to-stand-while-litigation-continues/\">October 2024\u003C/a>, the Court allowed the Biden Administration’s regulatory law on carbon emissions to stand while litigation continues.\u003C/li>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>States lack regulatory authority over issues affecting national and international commerce.\u003C/li>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>The fees imposed on fossil fuel companies are severely disproportionate to the resulting alleged harm.\u003C/li>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>Industries and car drivers who use fossil fuels are liable as well for damages and should pay into climate superfunds.\u003C/li>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.climatecentral.org/attribution-science\">Attribution science\u003C/a>, which allows scientists to estimate how much climate change intensified particular storms, is not a legitimate science and must be excluded from calculations of alleged climate harms.\u003C/li>\n\u003C/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>As of this writing, no state has charged any fossil fuel company under a climate superfund law. Whether any of these arguments will succeed in the courts remains to be seen.\u003C/p>\n",[118],{"name":23,"slug":24,"id":25},[120,124,128],{"id":121,"name":122,"slug":123,"description":9,"image":9},30285,"Environment","environment",{"id":125,"name":126,"slug":127,"description":9,"image":9},70963,"Environmental Awareness - Initiative","environmental-awareness-initiative",{"id":83,"name":84,"slug":85,"description":9,"image":9},{"url":130,"thumbnail":131,"credit":132,"title":133,"alt":134,"type":34},"https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/GettyImages-1213302592.jpg","https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/GettyImages-1213302592-150x100.jpg","Photo: Getty Images","Portrait Of Young Woman With Mask On The Street.","Woman in a city with a mask","2024-10-17T08:41:08-04:00","2024-10-17T09:09:03-04:00",[],{"disableAd":38,"disableConnatixPlayer":38,"enabledComments":38,"headScript":9},{"id":140,"author":141,"authors":148,"title":150,"subTitle":9,"excerpt":9,"slug":151,"body":152,"categories":153,"tags":159,"featuredMedia":167,"publishedAt":172,"updatedAt":173,"type":94,"listicle":174,"disableContentGate":38,"isDisabledListicleNumbers":40,"canonicalUrl":9,"socialThumbnail":168,"additional":191},72793404,{"id":142,"avatar":143,"firstName":9,"lastName":9,"displayName":144,"email":145,"username":146,"description":9,"twitter":9,"facebook":9,"instagram":9,"registeredAt":147},99591,"https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/IMG_1020-2-compress.jpg","Aria Bell","[email protected]","ariabell","2022-08-29T17:13:08+00:00",[149],{"id":142,"avatar":143,"firstName":9,"lastName":9,"displayName":144,"email":145,"username":146,"description":9,"twitter":9,"facebook":9,"instagram":9,"registeredAt":147},"How This Reddit Group Has Become The Perfect Pitstop For Book Suggestions","reddit-book-suggestions","\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/entertainment/reddit-drag-race-vanderpump-rules\">Reddit\u003C/a> has an innovative community for those who enjoy reading \u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/book-bans-public-schools-report\">books\u003C/a> and need suggestions on what should be added to their collection. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>With over \u003Ca href=\"https://isbndb.com/blog/how-many-books-are-in-the-world/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">100 million\u003C/a> book options available, sometimes a little assistance is needed when you know what you’re interested in reading but aren’t sure where to start. Reddit is helping readers find their next novel based on a mood in its “\u003Ca href=\"https://url.us.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/_b-ZCjRP86syRNgwIgS4CmLq_Q/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">r/BooksThatFeelLikeThis\u003C/a>” community, also known as a “subreddit.” Instead of a prompt, members get recommendations by posting pictures, art, music, or poetry, among other things, that align with a particular feeling. In a recent interview, one of the moderators sat down with Blavity to share some insight into the unique network.\u003C/p>\n",[154,158],{"name":155,"slug":156,"id":157},"Books","books",14,{"name":59,"slug":60,"id":61},[160,162,166],{"id":161,"name":155,"slug":156,"description":9,"image":9},36825,{"id":163,"name":164,"slug":165,"description":9,"image":9},26559,"Reddit","reddit",{"id":83,"name":84,"slug":85,"description":9,"image":9},{"url":168,"thumbnail":169,"credit":170,"title":171,"alt":171,"type":34},"https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Social-Thumb-2024-03-14T151219.515.png","https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Social-Thumb-2024-03-14T151219.515-150x84.png","elenaleonova","young woman reading a book","2024-10-15T21:50:05-04:00","2024-10-17T09:09:42-04:00",[175,177,179,181,183,185,187,189],{"title":9,"content":176},"\u003Cp>\u003C!-- wp:paragraph -->\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>Reddit user \u003Ca href=\"https://www.reddit.com/user/Maiden41/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">u/Maiden41\u003C/a>, a community facilitator, expressed admiration for the groundbreaking book subreddit.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>\u003C!-- /wp:paragraph --> \u003C!-- wp:paragraph -->\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>“My first thought and reaction was, is this even possible? Yes, it was. I was hooked to the sub immediately, spent hours scrolling through the posts and picked up so many suggestions for new titles and authors, all the while thinking, ‘This cannot be so easy, and yet, it is,'” she told Blavity. “The fact that this sub turned out so good for additions to my mini library at home is an understatement. My initial thoughts since I joined versus my perspective today continue to remain just the same, awestruck.” \u003C!-- /wp:paragraph -->\u003C/p>\n",{"title":9,"content":178},"\u003Cp>\u003C!-- wp:paragraph -->\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>Since photos are the most used element for communicating the emotion they’re searching for, it was important to the moderators and the collective to support artists. To do so, one of the rules enforced bans the use of \u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/ai-photo-editing-app-epik-yearbook-trend-keke-palmer\">AI-generated designs\u003C/a> in posts. Only the content created by real artists can be used. Most of the regulations aren’t complicated as they’re simple.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>\u003C!-- /wp:paragraph --> \u003C!-- wp:paragraph -->\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>“It is entirely a blend of basic dos and don’ts that are tweaked at times keeping the general user behavioral pattern in mind,” u/Maiden41 said. “No experiments needed with trials and errors as most of it is sheer online etiquette that we enforce along with a few guidelines specific to the requirements of the sub. From the generic rules like stay on topic, don’t be rude, etc. to the subspecific — no AI images allowed.”\u003C!-- /wp:paragraph -->\u003C/p>\n",{"title":9,"content":180},"\u003Cp>\u003Cimg decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-72793517\" src=\"https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Screenshot-2024-10-14-at-1.34.50 PM-300x284.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"466\" height=\"441\" srcset=\"https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Screenshot-2024-10-14-at-1.34.50 PM-300x284.png 300w, https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Screenshot-2024-10-14-at-1.34.50 PM-1024x971.png 1024w, https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Screenshot-2024-10-14-at-1.34.50 PM-150x142.png 150w, https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Screenshot-2024-10-14-at-1.34.50 PM-768x728.png 768w, https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Screenshot-2024-10-14-at-1.34.50 PM-24x24.png 24w, https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Screenshot-2024-10-14-at-1.34.50 PM.png 1462w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px\" />\u003C/p>\n",{"title":9,"content":182},"\u003Cp>It’s important that everyone in the subreddit feels welcomed and safe to share their thoughts.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>“Keeping it free of racist, homophobic, bigotry-laced content,” she explained. “It does get tricky at times with posts that seek erotic/lgbtiqa recommendations as a handful of users get offended and abuse the report button, but hey, we are not here to police what people choose to read. Being inclusive is the way forward and even though it is challenging at times, I will not shut such recommendations down.”\u003C/p>\n",{"title":9,"content":184},"\u003Cp>\u003C!-- wp:paragraph -->\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>Watching in the shadows, she sees things from a bird’s eye view. What can’t be missed are the organic \u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/entertainment/unprisoned-hulu-delroy-lindo-season-2\">relationships\u003C/a> built between people in the comment section of posts.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>\u003C!-- /wp:paragraph --> \u003C!-- wp:paragraph -->\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>“I especially enjoyed the way users in addition to book recommendations ended up bonding over the images that the user posted to seek recommendations,” u/Maiden41 mentioned. “The artist [named] John Atkinson Grimshaw as I discovered through the replies, is a favorite with a few people who got together discussing his works therein. Fun times.”\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>“On scrolling further through the recommendations it was such a delight to see users bond over the suggestions with many observing they wanted to suggest the same title or someone else gushing over a totally new suggestion,” she added.\u003C!-- /wp:paragraph -->\u003C/p>\n",{"title":9,"content":186},"\u003Cp>\u003C!-- wp:paragraph -->\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>She’s also seen some intriguing requests from community members. They flock to find guidance on books that feel like \u003Ca href=\"https://url.us.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/VaP0CkRP7Xsq5GgRIGTOCGLqF4/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">cats napping in the flowers\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"https://url.us.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/72LaClYP7ECzX4L3ilUoCz_7CI/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">bright lemons and sunshine\u003C/a> and \u003Ca href=\"https://url.us.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/V_RfCmZPyNhRW4v7UMcxCRNZty/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">horror-possessed werewolves\u003C/a>. One person’s ask for a women’s fiction title got “3.6k upvotes and 700 replies,” many being similar.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>\u003C!-- /wp:paragraph --> \u003C!-- wp:paragraph -->\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>“The next one was this women’s fiction request with 3.6k upvotes and 700 replies. What fascinated me about this post was that the images inspired similar/repetitive title suggestions from a lot of members. The choices were obvious picks not deviating much in genre recommendations,” u/Maiden41 said. “One look at the images and you’d immediately know what vibe this user was aiming for and exactly what book will be suggested. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier was the repeated favorite suggestion here.”\u003C!-- /wp:paragraph -->\u003C/p>\n",{"title":9,"content":188},"\u003Cp>\u003C!-- wp:paragraph -->\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>Surprisingly enough, there have rarely been any patterns from the hundreds of submission posts.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>\u003C!-- /wp:paragraph --> \u003C!-- wp:paragraph -->\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>“The fact that users come up with such a variety of posts which are rarely repetitive, is what pleasantly surprises me. There are no set patterns and trends here,” the bookworm said. “If one user seeks suggestions for a [cozy] genre, the very next post within a few minutes might be from a user seeking a gothic recommendation. It’s like a fun-filled box of mixed candies. All equally unique in content and flavor yet belonging to the same clan — books and more books to read.”\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>\u003C!-- /wp:paragraph -->\u003C/p>\n",{"title":9,"content":190},"\u003Cp>In addition to loving books herself, she’s happy to be part of a subreddit community that’s actively paying it forward with books.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>\u003C!-- /wp:paragraph --> \u003C!-- wp:paragraph -->\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>“To sum it up this sub is a haven for the restless bibliophiles on their quests for their next read.,” the moderator expressed. “Listening to a piece of music and you wonder what kind of book would pair well with it, or you stumbled across that pretty painting and need to find a book that gives you a feel of being a part of that painting? No problem at all, step over to \u003Ca href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/BooksThatFeelLikeThis\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">r/BooksThatFeelLikeThis\u003C/a> and submit a request, you’ll have apt suggestions that befit your request from members in no time.”\u003C/p>\n",{"disableAd":38,"disableConnatixPlayer":38,"enabledComments":38,"headScript":9},125,["Reactive",194],{},["Set"],["ShallowReactive",197],{"757UNbGIXP":41,"L5mKWLzO22":41},"/racial-tension-rampant-in-jacksonville-after-black-boys-are-kicked-out-of-fair-for-wearing-memorial-apparel",["Reactive",200],{"isarticle":201},{"article":38,"cname":9,"iuParts":202},"/11462305847/bla"]