Sybil Wilkes 'What You Need To Know'

Source: REACH Media / Reach Media

Here is what you need to know on Tuesday, February 28th, 2023

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1. Newspapers Fire Dilbert Creator Over Racist Comments

What You Need to Know:

Newspapers across the country dropped the Dilbert comic strip over the weekend, including the New York Times and the Washington Post. The moves were the result of controversial comments by the creator, Scott Adams. that many denounced as “racist, hateful, and discriminatory.” 

The cartoon strip’s distributor, Andrews McNeil Universal,  announced over the weekend that all ties were severed.  During a podcast, the cartoonist described Black people as members of a hate group, from which White people should get away. The San Francisco Chronicle stopped carrying “Dilbert” months ago when it made fun of reparations for Black people. 

2. Trayvon Martin Started a Movement, But Just Wanted to Go Home

WRITTEN AND CONTRIBUTED BY KHAMERON RILEY

What You Need to Know:

On February 26, 2012, 28-year-old George Zimmerman shot and killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin while walking home from a convenience store in Sanford, FL. Zimmerman was eventually charged with second-degree murder. Following a month-long trial, a jury of six women found Zimmerman not guilty. Then the world changed forever. 

The term “Black Lives Matter” was used for the first time by organizer Alicia Garza in a July 13, 2013, Facebook post in response to Zimmerman’s acquittal. The phrase spread widely and became a rallying cry against racial injustice.

Trayvon’s murder sparked nationwide protests, prompting President Barack Obama to say, “If I had a son, he would look like Trayvon.”

3. Millions Who Rely on Medicaid May Be Booted From Program

What You Need to Know:

If you get health care coverage through Medicaid, you might be at risk of losing that coverage over the next year.

Roughly 84 million people are covered by the government-sponsored program, which has grown by 20 million people since January 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

But as states begin checking everyone’s eligibility for Medicaid for the first time in three years, as many as 14 million people could lose access to that health care coverage.

A look at why so many people may no longer qualify for the Medicaid program over the next year and what you need to know if you’re one of those people who rely on the program.

4. Unarmed Shoplifter Fatally Shot Near Washington, D.C.

WRITTEN AND CONTRIBUTED BY COY MALONE

What You Need to Know:

Timothy Johnson, a 37-year-old Black man, was suspected of stealing sunglasses from a shopping mall in Tysons, Virginia, about 16 miles west of Washington, D.C.

According to police, Johnson was at the Tysons Corner Center shopping mall on February 22 when he left the store while allegedly “concealing designer sunglasses.” The anti-theft alarm was activated, prompting him to run through the parking garage, across the parking lot, and into a heavily wooded area.

A Fairfax County uniformed police officer and a plainclothes officer pursued Johnson on foot and gave him commands to get on the ground. It’s unclear how long police gave verbal commands before they fired gunshots. Johnson was shot in the chest one time. Police say they rendered aid until EMS arrived. Johnson was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

5. Tax Payment Options

WRITTEN AND CONTRIBUTED BY CATRINA M. CRAFT, CPA

What You Need to Know:

Tax payment is an unavoidable part of many citizens’ lives. If you’re not able to pay the tax you owe by your original filing due date, the balance is subject to interest and a monthly late payment penalty. Remember, it’s always in your best interest to pay in full as soon as you can to minimize the additional charges.

Short-Term Payment Plans
If you can’t pay in full immediately, you may qualify for additional time -up to 180 days- to pay in full. There’s no fee for this full payment; however, interest and any applicable penalties continue to accrue until your liability is paid in full.