Reno Omokri has lashed out at clergyman, Pastor Tunde Bakare, who recently condemned President Tinubu’s style of leadership.
While speaking to his congregants on Sunday, April 20, Bakare lamblasted the President for the manner he has piloted the affairs of the country since assuming office in May 2023.
Bakare said President Tinubu practices ‘’motorpark brand of politics”. He further stated that the President has turned the National Assembly into an Assembly that does only his bidding. Read here.
Reacting to Bakare’s comment via his Instagram page this evening, Reno opined that the cleric spoke against the President because he is still bitter that he lost the APC Presidential ticket to Tinubu in 2022.
He wrote;
‘’Tunde Bakare wanted to be President. He contested against President Bola Tinubu for the APC primary on Wednesday, June 8, 2022, and was soundly defeated. Tunde Bakare scored ZERO votes at the primary. Please fact-check me. He is not speaking as a pastor or prophet. He is speaking as a defeated and bitter rival who is covetous of the President’s position.
You cannot expect a rival you defeated to be fair, just and balanced concerning you. It is not possible.
It is like expecting Kanye West to speak positively about Taylor Swift after losing the Grammy Award for Album of the Year to her.
This is a man who informed us that heaven has ordained him to be the sixteenth President of Nigeria after Buhari. Today, the reality is that the sixteenth President of Nigeria is President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Do you then expect him to be happy with Bola Tinubu for occupying a position promised to him by heaven?
If Tunde Bakare can lie against heaven (not the first time. He also claimed in 2006 that the Holy Spirit told him Buhari was part of Nigeria’s decaying past, before running with the same Buhari in 2011), who are you that he cannot lie to?”
No fewer than six people were killed on Monday evening by a group of terrorists at Ilesha Baruba in the Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State.
SaharaReporters learnt the terrorists, heavily armed and dressed in military camouflage, launched the deadly attack after Isha’I prayer on Monday.
The assailants, according to eyewitnesses, stormed the town through the highway that links the town to the state capital on motorcycles with several sophisticated weapons.
They were clad in what appeared to be Nigerian Army uniforms, sparking fears of impersonation and raising critical questions about the source of their gear.
In a video obtained by SaharaReporters, the lifeless bodies of the victims were seen lying in pools of their blood, as wailing filled the background.
The gruesome footage captured the aftermath of what residents described as a “terror operation.”
One of the eyewitnesses, Umar Faruq, who narrowly escaped the attack, told SaharaReporters that the gunmen appeared organised and deliberate in their mission.
GRAPHIC VIDEO: Terrorists In Military Uniform Kill Six Residents Of Kwara Community In Fresh Assault pic.twitter.com/ZeYQJWxiHM
“They came in soldier uniforms. At first, we thought they were here for security patrol, but within minutes, they opened fire on innocent people. It was like a war scene. People were screaming, running for their lives,” he recounted.
The traditional titleholder of the area, Turaki of Ilesha Baruba, who also confirmed the incident, condemned the killings and described the attack as a direct assault on the peace and sovereignty of the community.
“This is not just an attack on individuals. It’s a message to us all that we are not safe. Our people are living in fear now. We call on the government to act fast,” he said.
This fresh bloodshed has further exposed the fragile state of security in Kwara North and revived calls for serious overhauls in intelligence gathering and community protection.
The use of military uniforms by the attackers has also raised suspicions of insider collusion or dangerous black-market access to security gear.
All efforts made to reach the Kwara State Police Command for comment at the time of filing the report did not succeed.
Way.com compiled data on parking rates and options at Seattle–Tacoma International Airport. Parking options range from more convenient and expensive options on-site to cheaper parking lots that may require a taxi or shuttle.
On-site parking options at Seattle–Tacoma International Airport range in price from $37 to $47. Around the country, airport parking lots cost anywhere from $5 to $168. Surprisingly the most expensive airport parking lot is in Denver, not in New York City or Los Angeles.
On-site parking lots at Seattle–Tacoma International Airport #1. General Parking: $37 #2. Terminal Direct: $47
Most expensive parking lots at U.S. airports #1. DEN Airport (Short Term East): $168 #1. DEN Airport (Short Term West): $168 #3. LGA Airport (Terminal C Parking): $89 #4. JFK Airport (Blue Garage): $80 #4. LGA Airport (Terminal B Lot): $80 #4. JFK Airport (Yellow Garage): $80 #7. LAX Airport (Valet Parking Lot): $75 #7. ORD Airport (Economy Parking G): $75 #7. LGA Airport (Terminal A Lot): $75 #10. JFK Airport (Red Garage): $70
Off-site parking for Seattle–Tacoma International Airport
Off-site parking options by Seattle–Tacoma International Airport can be as close as 0.4 miles or as cheap as $6.00/day.
Nearest off-site parking lots
#1. MVP Seattle Airport Parking: 0.4 miles ($22.49/day) – Free Airport Shuttle, Outdoor Valet
#2. Doubletree By Hilton Hotel Seattle Airport Parking SPECIAL DEAL: 0.6 miles ($13.95/day) – Free Airport Shuttle, Outdoor Self Park
#3. UVP SEA Airport Parking: 1.0 miles ($9.99/day) – Free Airport Shuttle, Outdoor Self Park
#4. Star SeaTac Airport Parking: 1.2 miles ($14.95/day) – Free Airport Shuttle, Outdoor Self Park
#5. Crest Motor Inn SeattleTacoma International Airport Parking: 1.3 miles ($7.99/day) – Free Airport Shuttle, Outdoor Valet
“He Who Has The Gold Makes The Rules” Trump said Over Easter Weekend
(ZeroHedge) While many are still wondering about whether or not the audit of Fort Knox is happening, it doesn’t seem like President Trump doubts the country’s gold holdings.
With gold surging through $3420/oz. for the first time ever this morning, many are pointing back to one of President Trump’s Truth Social posts from yesterday. Trump wrote on Easter: “THE GOLDEN RULE OF NEGOTIATING AND SUCCESS: HE WHO HAS THE GOLD MAKES THE RULES. THANK YOU!”.
Recall, in early 2025, Donald Trump and Elon Musk publicly questioned whether Fort Knox still holds its gold reserves. Trump announced plans to visit the site, while Musk suggested a live-streamed inspection, saying, “Maybe it’s there, maybe it’s not.”
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent then responded by citing a 2024 audit confirming the presence of 147.3 million ounces of gold, with no major withdrawals in years. He added that senators can request a tour through his office.
Meanwhile, we’ve laid out a number of reasons we think gold is surging in our article out this morning here.
“in a sign that investors are rotating investments away from the US, Deutsche Bank AG said that Chinese clients have reduced some of their Treasuries holdings in favor of European debt. European high-quality bonds, Japanese government bonds and gold are likely to be the potential choices for investors as alternatives to Treasuries, said Lillian Tao, head of China macro and global emerging market sales at the bank,” we wrote earlier this morning.
While there was no specific catalyst for the suddenly collapse in the illiquid early Asian session, which saw many countries on extended Easter holiday, Bloomberg quoted traders that hedge funds are selling the dollar against virtually any currencies after National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said Friday that President Donald Trump is still exploring ways to remove Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, according to traders.
“The president and his team will continue to study that,” National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said Friday when asked by a reporter if removing Powell was an option.
Hassett then suggested, accurately, that the Fed under Powell, who was appointed by Trump during his first term, had acted politically to benefit Democrats.
“The policy of this Federal Reserve was to raise rates the minute President Trump was elected last time, to say that the supply-side tax cuts that were going to be inflationary,” Hassett said, adding that Fed officials opted not to go “on TV and at IMF meetings and warn about the terrible inflation from the obvious runaway spending from Joe Biden, and the obvious runaway spending from Joe Biden was textbook inflationary,” Hassett continued. “And then they cut rates right ahead of the election.”
_________
SOURCE
Header featured image (edited) credit: Org. post content. Emphasis added by (TLB)
••••
••••
Stay tuned to …
••••
The Liberty Beacon Project is now expanding at a near exponential rate, and for this we are grateful and excited! But we must also be practical. For 7 years we have not asked for any donations, and have built this project with our own funds as we grew. We are now experiencing ever increasing growing pains due to the large number of websites and projects we represent. So we have just installed donation buttons on our websites and ask that you consider this when you visit them. Nothing is too small. We thank you for all your support and your considerations … (TLB)
••••
Comment Policy: As a privately owned web site, we reserve the right to remove comments that contain spam, advertising, vulgarity, threats of violence, racism, or personal/abusive attacks on other users. This also applies to trolling, the use of more than one alias, or just intentional mischief. Enforcement of this policy is at the discretion of this websites administrators. Repeat offenders may be blocked or permanently banned without prior warning.
••••
Disclaimer: TLB websites contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available to our readers under the provisions of “fair use” in an effort to advance a better understanding of political, health, economic and social issues. The material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving it for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material for purposes other than “fair use” you must request permission from the copyright owner.
••••
Disclaimer: The information and opinions shared are for informational purposes only including, but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material are not intended as medical advice or instruction. Nothing mentioned is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
A former Victoria’s Secret employee said she was sexually harassed by the lingerie department manager at a Philadelphia store, according to a lawsuit. And when she reported her experience, she alleges, she was retaliated against during her shifts and ignored by company higher-ups.
The claims were laid out in a lawsuit that was filed last month in the U.S. District Court in Philadelphia and reported on earlier this week by Philadelphia Magazine. The suit seeks unspecified damages from Victoria’s Secret.
The North Philadelphia woman, Ionnae Alvarado-Jones, said the harassment started in February 2022, not long after she started her job as a sales associate at the Victoria’s Secret store in Liberty Place. According to court documents, a manager repeatedly told Alvarado-Jones she was “sexy,” commented on her breasts and touched her breasts and arm inappropriately.
A store manager saw this behavior and ignored it, Alvarado-Jones alleges in the lawsuit.
Alvarado-Jones also reported the harassment to the company’s ethics hotline and human resources departments, she said, but never heard back. After Alvarardo-Jones filed an initial report with the hotline, her managers at the store started to nitpick her work and scream and curse at her, according to the documents.
A spokesperson for Victoria’s Secret did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The manager accused of sexual harassment was named in the lawsuit, but not listed as a defendant. It is unclear whether any managers named in the lawsuit still work for Victoria’s Secret.
Alvarado-Jones, now 21, said the experience made her “physically sick,” and has turned her into a hyper-vigilant person, who can be sent into a panic by a tone of voice or an unexpected touch.
“Imagine being hyper-aware of every interaction, analyzing every word you say because you didn’t want to ‘provoke’ anything,” she said in a statement through her attorney, David Koller. “The anxiety became a constant hum in the background of my life, eventually clinging to my everyday thoughts, tasks, and activities.”
The Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Dr Emomotimi Agama, has responded to public criticism over the agency’s perceived inaction in the collapse of CBEX, a controversial investment platform accused of defrauding unsuspecting Nigerians.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE NEWS on Monday, Dr Agama explained that the SEC could not intervene because CBEX was never registered with the Commission.
“The first responsibility of the SEC is to watch over regulated institutions within the confines of its available resources.
“Once you are registered with the SEC, you are totally and completely under our watch. Registration actually is the hallmark of regulation. Without registration, the possibility of regulation becomes difficult,” he said.
He emphasised that the SEC only became aware of CBEX recently and had not received any reports about the platform before that time.
“It’s very pathetic that Nigerians will lose their money this way,” he said. “At the SEC, and I’m sure speaking for my colleagues, we’re very empathic about the situation. But even at that, we must say clearly that the idea or thoughts that the SEC is not working are totally out of it.”
According to Agama, CBEX had operated outside the Commission’s radar entirely.
“The CBEX is not registered with the SEC. And no one up until last week had reported the CBEX to the SEC as an investment platform or even made an inquiry to that effect,” he stated.
He stressed that despite such limitations, the SEC has remained proactive in educating the public about safe investing.
“We have continued mass education. Just about two months ago, we launched a podcast at the SEC to provide information to people. We’ve also gone around holding enlightenment campaigns all over the place,” he noted.
To avoid falling victim to fraudulent schemes, he advised Nigerians to seek professional advice before making any investments.
“If there is any investment you are not sure about, contact a financial advisor, a lawyer, an investment advisor or a stockbroker. Investments are very serious business, and Nigerians must take time to check and confirm before delving into it.”
On the notion that CBEX was in the process of securing certification, Agama dismissed the claims.
“It’s totally untrue, in capital letters. No institution applies to the SEC after operating. You cannot operate without a licence from the SEC. That alone is a red flag,” he added.
He also addressed the misconception that registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) is equivalent to SEC approval.
“Sometimes these people are deceptive and manipulative. They could have applied for registration not as an investment platform or exchange. So they may receive a certificate innocently from the CAC,” he said.
Agama assured that justice will be pursued through an ongoing investigation and collaboration with other relevant government agencies.
“We are continually investigating this CBEX scheme, and of course, we will bring them to book. There is a strong collaboration between all the agencies of government to make sure that this happens. As much as possible, whatever we can recover, certainly in this instance, will be returned back to the investors,” he said.
We Became Aware Of CBEX After Nigerians Lost Money—SEC is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
The Katsina State Command has successfully foiled a kidnap attempt along Funtua to Gusau highway and rescued ten kidnapped victims
Spokesperson of the command, DSP Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, April 20, 2025.
“On April 19, 2025, at about 2135 hours, information was received at Faskari Division that suspected armed bandits laid ambush at Marabar Bangori village along Funtua-Gusau Road with intent to kidnap occupants of two vehicles. The vehicles, a black Golf Saloon (BWR 781 SW) and an ash-colored Golf (DTM 179 TA), were en route from Katsina to Faskari,” the statement read.
“Upon receiving the information, APC patrol team attached to Faskri Division mobilized and responded promptly to the scene, engaging the bandits in a gun battle. The bandits were overpowered and fled into the nearby bush, abandoning their mission.
“Ten (10) victims, including two (2) drivers and eight passengers, were rescued unhurt. Efforts are being made to ensure the arrest of the fleeing suspects as the investigation proceeds. Further developments will be communicated in due course.
“The Commissioner of Police, Katsina State Command, CP Bello Shehu, psc, fdc, MNIM, commends the officers for their professionalism and prompt response, which undoubtedly saved lives.
“He reiterates the commitment of the command towards ensuring the safety and security of the good people of Katsina state.”
In the wake of yet another spate of killings in Plateau State, Governor Caleb Mutfwang convened a meeting with critical stakeholders on Monday, a move that critics argue offers little tangible solution to the decades-long insecurity plaguing the state.
Speaking at the event, Mutfwang stated that the meeting aimed at “fashioning out ways of tackling the recurrent attacks and wanton destruction of properties in the state.” However, for many residents, this convening represents a familiar pattern of reactive measures that have consistently failed to stem the bloodshed.
The governor, acknowledging that the “security challenges in the state had spanned for over two decades,” explained that the meeting also aimed at uniting critical stakeholders towards ending the menace. Yet, the very need for such a meeting after years of violence underscores the government’s persistent inability to ensure the safety of its citizens.
While Mutfwang decried that “insecurity had posed a serious threat to the economic prosperity of Plateau,” his commendation of President Bola Tinubu for the measures put in place to tackle the security challenges rings hollow to those who have witnessed the continued loss of life and livelihoods.
“Right from the time the Jos market was burnt to this point, you will discover that even food production in Plateau has been on the decline,” Mutfwang conceded. “Recently, we took stock of farmlands which our people have not been able to cultivate because attempting to cultivate those farmlands is at the risk of their lives.” This stark admission highlights the profound impact of the ongoing insecurity, raising questions about the effectiveness of past and present security strategies.
“There is no part of this state that does not have its share of insecurity, so we must come together as a people to address this issue,” the governor urged. “This is why we called all of you here, so we can rob minds and find lasting solutions to the security challenges in our dear state.” However, the repeated calls for unity and dialogue have yielded little practical improvement in the safety of Plateau communities.
Mutfwang called on the stakeholders to be open and make positive suggestions that would lead to lasting peace in the state. But for many, the time for suggestions has long passed, and concrete action is what is desperately needed.
The meeting, which later went into closed doors, included former governors Fidelis Tapgun, Joshua Dariye, Jonah Jang, and retired Rear Admiral Bitrus Atukum, alongside serving and former senators, House Representatives members, traditional and religious leaders, government officials, and youth and women groups.
The presence of these prominent figures highlights the long history of the crisis, yet the cyclical nature of these meetings without a clear breakthrough offers a bleak outlook for lasting peace.
Rocket McDonald (front) and Makos Swim teammates enter the water without starting blocks during practice at the YMCA’s O’Fallon Park Rec Complex on March 18 in St. Louis. (MICHAEL B. THOMAS FOR KFF HEALTH NEWS)
by Cara Anthony, KFF Health News
At a swim meet just outside St. Louis, heads turned when a team of young swimmers walked through the rec center with their parents in tow.
A supportive mom kept her eye on the clock while the Makos Swim Team athletes tucked their natural curls, braids, and locs into yellow swimming caps. In the bleachers, spectators whispered about the team’s presence at the pool in Centralia, Illinois — as they do at almost every competition.
“They don’t know that we’re listening,” Randella Randell, a swimmer’s mom, later said. “But we’re here to stay. We’re here to represent. We’re going to show you that Black kids know how to swim. We swim, too.”
Email AddressSign up
Randell’s son, Elijah Gilliam, 14, is a member of the Makos’ competitive YMCA and USA Swimming program based in North St. Louis. Almost 40 athletes, ages 4 to 19, swim on the squad, which encourages Black and multiracial kids to participate in the sport. Coached by Terea Goodwin and Torrie Preciado, the team also spreads the word about water safety in their community.
“If we can get everybody to learn how to swim, just that little bit, it would save so many lives,” said Goodwin, a kitchen and bathroom designer by day who is known as Coach T at the pool. “Swimming is life.”
But just like mako sharks, such teams of Black swimmers are rare. Detroit has the Razor Aquatics, Howard University in Washington, D.C., has a team that’s made headlines for winning championships, and some alums from North Carolina A&T’s former swim team created a group to offer water safety classes.
Elijah Gilliam swims during practice at the YMCA’s O’Fallon Park Rec Complex on March 18, in St. Louis. (MICHAEL B. THOMAS FOR KFF HEALTH NEWS)
In the past, Black Americans were barred from many public swimming pools. When racial segregation was officially banned, white Americans established private swim clubs that required members to pay a fee that wasn’t always affordable. As a result, swimming remained effectively segregated, and many Black Americans stayed away from pools.
The impact is still felt. More than a third of Black adults report they do not know how to swim, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics, more than twice the rate for adults overall.
Seeing a need in their community, the parents of the Makos swimmers formed the Black Swimmers Alliance at the end of 2023 with a goal of “bridging the gap in aquatic skills,” according to its website. But the group, which offers swim lessons to families of color, is concerned about the flow of grant money dwindling because of the recent federal backlash against diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. Even so, they are fundraising directly on their own, because lives are being lost.
Randella Randell and son Elijah Gilliam attend Makos Swim Team practice at the YMCA’s O’Fallon Park Rec Complex on March 18, in St. Louis. (MICHAEL B. THOMAS FOR KFF HEALTH NEWS)
In late January, a 6-year-old died at a hotel pool in St. Louis. A boy the same age drowned while taking swim lessons at a St. Louis County pool in 2022. And across the river in Hamel, Illinois, a 3-year-old boy drowned in a backyard pool last summer.
Drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1 through 4, according to the CDC. Black children and Black adults drown far more often than their white peers.
Members of the Black Swimmers Alliance discussed those statistics before their advocacy work began. They also had to address another issue — many of the adult volunteers and parents with children on the Makos team didn’t know how to swim. Even though their children were swimming competitively, the fear of drowning and the repercussions of history had kept the parents out of the pool.
The Makos athletes also noticed that their parents were timid around water. That’s when their roles reversed. The children started to look out for the grown-ups.
Joseph Johnson, now 14, called out his mom, Connie Johnson, when she tried to give him a few tips about how to improve his performance.
“He was like, ‘Mom, you have no idea,’” the now-55-year-old recalled. “At first, I was offended, but he was absolutely right. I didn’t know how to swim.”
She signed up for lessons with Coach T.
Connie Johnson and her son, Joseph, attend practice at the O’Fallon Park Rec Complex on March 18. She signed up for swimming lessons for herself after he joined the Makos Swim Team. (MICHAEL B. THOMAS FOR KFF HEALTH NEWS)
Najma Nasiruddin-Crump and her husband, Joshua Crump, signed up, too. His daughter Kaia Collins-Crump, now 14, had told them she wanted to join the Makos team the first time she saw it. But among the three of them, no one knew how to swim.
Joshua Crump, 38, said he initially felt silly at the lessons, then started to get the hang of it.
“I don’t swim well enough to beat any of the children in a race,” he said with a chuckle.
Joseph Johnson swims during the Makos Swim Team practice at the O’Fallon Park Rec Complex on March 18. (MICHAEL B. THOMAS FOR KFF HEALTH NEWS)
Nasiruddin-Crump, 33, said she was terrified the first time she jumped in the deep end. “It is the only moment in my life outside of birthing my children that I’ve been afraid of something,” she said. “But once you do it, it’s freedom. It’s pure freedom.”
Mahoganny Richardson, whose daughter Ava is on the team, volunteered to teach more Makos parents how to swim.
She said the work starts outside the pool with a conversation about a person’s experiences with water. She has heard stories about adults who were pushed into pools, then told to sink or swim. Black women were often told to stay out of the water to maintain hairstyles that would swell if their hair got wet.
Bradlin Jacob-Simms stands with her daughter, Karter, at the O’Fallon Park Rec Complex on March 18. Through the Black Swim Alliance, Jacob-Simms is taking swim lessons and Karter is competing on the Makos Swim Team. (MICHAEL B. THOMAS FOR KFF HEALTH NEWS)
Bradlin Jacob-Simms, 47, decided to learn how to swim almost 20 years after her family survived Hurricane Katrina. She evacuated the day before the storm hit but said one of her friends survived only because that woman’s brother was able to swim to find help.
“If it wasn’t for him, they would have died,” she said, noting that hundreds did drown.
Karter Simms swims during Makos Swim Team practice. (MICHAEL B. THOMAS FOR KFF HEALTH NEWS)
“That’s the reason why swimming is important to me,” she said. “A lot of times, us as African Americans, we shy away from it. It’s not really in our schools. It’s not really pushed.”
Makos swimmer Rocket McDonald, 13, encouraged his mom, Jamie McDonald, to get back into the water and stick with it. When she was a child, her parents had signed her up for swim lessons, but she never got the hang of it. Her dad was always leery of the water. McDonald didn’t understand why until she read about a race riot at a pool not far from where her dad grew up that happened after St. Louis desegregated public pools in 1949.
Bradlin Jacob-Simms is learning to swim with instructor Mahoganny Richardson almost 20 years after her family survived Hurricane Katrina. Hundreds drowned in the storm. “That’s the reason why swimming is important to me,” she says. “A lot of times, us as African Americans, we shy away from it. It’s not really in our schools. It’s not really pushed.”(MICHAEL B. THOMAS FOR KFF HEALTH NEWS)
“It was a full-circle moment,” McDonald said. “It all makes sense now.”
Now, at 42, McDonald is learning to swim again.
Safety is always a priority for the Makos team. Coach T makes the athletes practice swimming in full clothing as a survival skill.
Years ago, as a lifeguard in Kansas City, Missouri, Coach T pulled dozens of children out of recreational swimming pools who were drowning. Most of them, she said, were Black children who came to cool off but didn’t know how to swim.
Jamie McDonald and son Rocket attend a Makos Swim Team practice. Rocket encouraged his mom to take swimming lessons.(MICHAEL B. THOMAS FOR KFF HEALTH NEWS)
“I was literally jumping in daily, probably hourly, getting kids out of every section,” Goodwin said. After repeated rescues, too many to count, she decided to offer lessons.
Swim lessons can be costly. The Black Swimmers Alliance aimed to fund 1,000 free swim lessons by the end of 2025. It had already funded 150 lessons in St. Louis. But when the group looked for grants, the alliance scaled back its goal to 500 lessons, out of caution about what funding would be available.
It’s still committed to helping Black athletes swim competitively throughout their school years and in college.
Years ago, as a lifeguard in Kansas City, Missouri, Terea Goodwin pulled dozens of children out of swimming pools who were drowning. Most of them, she says, were Black children who came to cool off but didn’t know how to swim. So, she started to offer swim lessons. Today, she is known as Coach T, coaching the Makos Swim Team and teaching adults how to swim in North St. Louis. (CARA ANTHONY/KFF HEALTH NEWS)
Most of the time, the Makos swimmers practice in a YMCA pool that doesn’t have starting blocks. Backstroke flags are held in place with fishing wire, and the assistant coach’s husband, José Preciado, used his 3-D printer to make red, regulation 15-meter markers for the team. Once a week, parents drive the team to a different YMCA pool that has starting blocks. That pool is about 5 degrees warmer for its senior patrons’ comfort. Sometimes the young swimmers fuss about the heat, but practicing there helps them prepare for meets.
Parents said white officials have frequently disqualified Makos swimmers. So some of the team parents studied the rules of the sport, and eventually four became officials to diversify the ranks and ensure all swimmers are treated fairly. Still, parents said, that hasn’t stopped occasional racist comments from bystanders and other swimmers at meets.
The Black Swimmers Alliance logo is seen on a shirt during practice at the O’Fallon Park Rec Complex on March 18. The group formed in 2023 with the goal of “bridging the gap in aquatic skills” for families of color. (MICHAEL B. THOMAS FOR KFF HEALTH NEWS)
“Some didn’t think we’d make it this far, not because of who we are but where we’re from,” Goodwin has taught the Makos swimmers to recite. “So we have to show them.”
And this spring, Richardson is offering lessons for Makos parents while their children practice.
“It’s not just about swimming,” Richardson said. “It’s about overcoming something that once felt impossible.”
Jamie McDonald (right) takes a swim lesson with another Makos Swim Team parent, Reggae Anwisye, during their children’s practice. McDonald’s son encouraged her to take lessons. (MICHAEL B. THOMAS FOR KFF HEALTH NEWS)
KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF.
Trump to meet Execs from Walmart, Home Depot other chains @ tariff concerns
Companies are having concerns about inflation due to Trump’s tariffs
By Charlotte Hazard
President Donald Trump is set to meet Monday with executives at Walmart, Home Depot, Target and Lowe’s due to the companies’ concerns about tariffs.
A White House official confirmed the meeting, according to The Associated Press.
Companies are having concerns about inflation due to Trump’s tariffs.
The president has a baseline tariff of 10% and import taxes of 145% on goods from China.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped over 1,000 points on Monday.
*********
(TLB) published this article with permission of John Solomon at Just the News. Click Here to read about the staff at Just the News
Header featured image (edited) credit: Getty Images. Emphasis added by (TLB)
••••
••••
Stay tuned to …
••••
The Liberty Beacon Project is now expanding at a near exponential rate, and for this we are grateful and excited! But we must also be practical. For 7 years we have not asked for any donations, and have built this project with our own funds as we grew. We are now experiencing ever increasing growing pains due to the large number of websites and projects we represent. So we have just installed donation buttons on our websites and ask that you consider this when you visit them. Nothing is too small. We thank you for all your support and your considerations … (TLB)
••••
Comment Policy: As a privately owned web site, we reserve the right to remove comments that contain spam, advertising, vulgarity, threats of violence, racism, or personal/abusive attacks on other users. This also applies to trolling, the use of more than one alias, or just intentional mischief. Enforcement of this policy is at the discretion of this websites administrators. Repeat offenders may be blocked or permanently banned without prior warning.
••••
Disclaimer: TLB websites contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available to our readers under the provisions of “fair use” in an effort to advance a better understanding of political, health, economic and social issues. The material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving it for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material for purposes other than “fair use” you must request permission from the copyright owner.
••••
Disclaimer: The information and opinions shared are for informational purposes only including, but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material are not intended as medical advice or instruction. Nothing mentioned is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.