News You Ought to Know
TSCRA applauds USMCA deal
FORT WORTH, Texas — Robert McKnight, Jr., president of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA), issued the following statement after United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced an agreement on the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA):
“We are pleased that the administration and Speaker Pelosi have reached an agreement that will allow USMCA to move forward. Free trade with our neighbors is absolutely vital for American beef producers as Mexico and Canada purchase almost $2 billion of U.S. beef and beef products each year.
We urge both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate to pass USMCA without delay. American farmers and ranchers deserve nothing less, and should begin the new year with the certainty of continued duty-free access to two of our largest export markets.”
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Dallas is the first certified welcoming city in Texas
Dallas, Texas – Dallas is the first city in Texas to earn the Certified Welcoming status in recognition of inclusiveness and integration of immigrants.
The Office of Welcoming Communities and Welcoming Affairs (WCIA) successfully completed a rigorous certification process through Welcoming America, a non-partisan, national non-profit organization.
“Cities are the economic engines of Texas, and I am proud we have passed the selection criteria to be recognized as a welcoming certified city,” said Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson. “Dallas has a global economy and a vibrant culture highlighted by our diverse communities. We absolutely will leverage these assets to further grow our economy and advance inclusion in our City.”
Welcoming America evaluated local efforts to establish an inclusive community through government leadership, civic engagement, equitable access, education, economic development and connected and safe communities.
“The Office of Welcoming Communities and Immigrant Affairs was established to ensure we as a City are accessible, responsive and equitable to the needs of immigrant populations in Dallas,” said Dallas City Manager T.C. Broadnax. “This certification acknowledges the work we have done to become a model city for being inclusive and promoting the engagement of immigrants and refugees.”
Welcoming America launched the Certified Welcoming program in April 2017 to establish a formal designation for cities and counties that have taken action on their commitment to welcoming and met the high bar set by the Welcoming Standard.
WCIA seeks to bridge the space between newcomers and existing Dallas residents, to find common ground, to foster informed understanding and to promote shared leadership.
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Zimmerman sues Trayvon Martin’s family, attorneys
BARTOW, Fla. (AP) — Neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman, who was acquitted of the 2012 killing of Trayvon Martin, is suing the teen’s parents, family attorney, the attorney’s book publisher and prosecutors who tried his case, claiming he was defamed when they allowed a witness to give false testimony in an attempt to incriminate him.
Zimmerman’s lawsuit, said a trial witness pretended to be the last person to talk to Martin by phone before he was killed when the witness was actually the half-sister of the caller.
According to the lawsuit, Brittany Diamond Eugene didn’t want to testify that she had been talking to Martin before he was killed. So her half-sister, Rachel Jeantel, pretended that she was talking to the teen before he was fatally shot. Jeantel ended up testifying at Zimmerman’s 2013 trial in Sanford, Florida.
Martin was killed during a struggle with Zimmerman, who was a Neighborhood Watch volunteer.
Martin was black. Zimmerman’s father is white and his mother is Hispanic. Zimmerman’s trial raised questions about race and Florida’s “stand your ground” self-defense law which allows people to use force without retreating if they feel threatened.
