With Australian Open title, Naomi Osaka climbs to No. 1 ranking in women's tennis

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Are we witnesing the start of the Naomi Osaka era in pro-tennis?

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Naomi Osaka is the new queen of tennis.

She beat Petra Kvitova to win the Australian Open this morning (Jan. 26) in a thrilling comeback and now has become the first Asian woman or man to be ranked No. 1 in professional tennis, reports The Telegraph.

The Japan-born, 21-year-old Japanese Haitian immigrated to the United States at the age of three. She lives and trains in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

It was not a dominating win. The 3-set match between the two women was a dramatic see-saw  final for the Australian Open. Osaka entered the tournament with a No. 4 seed. Kvitova was No. 8.

Despite squandering three match points at 5-3 in the second set, the Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka, regrouped to beat Petra Kvitova 7-6 (2), 5-7, 6-4 to win a dramatic Australian Open final. Her second consecutive grand slam title ensures she will be the new world No 1. On Saturday, the tears flowed again at the end of a high quality, see-saw final, in which she lost her way and then found it again.

As Kvitova’s final forehand return flew wide, Osaka fell to her haunches, her head in her hands. 'I still feel very shocked,' Osaka said.

Kvitova overcame three match points in the second set to win four games in a row and win the set. In the end, Osaka persevered, winning the championship 7-6, 5-7, 6-4.

It was Osaka's second straight Grand Slam title since four months ago when she won the U.S. Open, beating Serena Williams to boos from a crowd that was upset about controversial calls from an umpire.

This time there was no such controversy. Just as in the U.S. Open, Osaka was gracious in victory.

“Sorry, public speaking isn’t really my strong side. I just hope I can get through this… Huge congrats to Petra, I always wanted to play you. You’ve been through so much and I honestly wouldn’t want this to be our first match,” Osaka said in her remarks to the crowd after the match.

“You’re really amazing and I’m so honored to have played you. 

“To my team, I don’t think I would have made it through this week behind you guys. Behind a tennis player is always a team so I’m really grateful.

“I read notes before this but I’ve still forgotten what I’m supposed to say. I’m really honored to play in this final so thank you.”

“Women’s tennis is very open. You really never know who going to be there. But definitely she’s playing great game,” Kvitova said to ESPN. “She’s really big player, as she showed in the results, winning the US Open and Australian Open, it’s an amazing achievement.”

Congratulations poured in from fellow tennis professionals:

Views From the Edge contributed to this report.

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13-year old wins gold at U.S. Skating Championships

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Alysa Liu, the future of U.S. Women's Skating?

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Views From the Edge

At the age of 13, Alysa Liu stole the show when she became the youngest skater to win U.S. Figure Skating Championships held in Detroit on Friday (Jan. 25)

She won the championship in amazing style by successfully landing two triple axels in her final long program thereby dethroning 2018 winner Bradie Tennell at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. 

After her score was posted, she put her hands over her face, overcome with emotion.
Alysa Liu of Richmond, California hit the triple axels, becoming just the youngest in American history to ever do so at Nationals and just the third overall. The others are Tanya Harding and Kimmie Meissner.

“I was really happy because I did everything I wanted to do,” Liu said to Team USA about the tears that rolled down her eyes after her performance.

Liu could be America’s future in her sport and, according to the Mercury News, is the most talked about skater in years.

She is the daughter of Arthur Liu who left China in 1989 after the Tiananmen Square protests. She was conceived through anonymous egg donors and two surrogate mothers.

She has worked with Olympic skater Michelle Kwan’s former coach, Frank Carroll and is currently coached by Laura Lipetsky.

“I care about her so much, I give everything that I can to her because she only gets one shot,” Lipetsky said to the Mercury News.

"I know a lot of people think I’m all about the jumps,” said Alysa to the Times Herald. “I do try to work on skating skills. Because I am so small it is a bit harder to project that emotion and presentation.”

The 4-foot-7-inch skater turned heads in August, when she became the youngest woman to land a triple axel in international competition, reports ESPN. On Friday, despite her age, she showed poise and ability under pressure on the big stage.

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Because of age, Alysa can't compete in this season's World Games because international competition require skaters to be 15 years old. So by the time the Winter Olympics come around in 2022, Alysa should be hitting her prime.

"I'm not too worried about that part," Alysa told ESPN. "Because I get more time to work on my jumps, skating skills, spins and just trying to learn more."

The women's competition was without several big names, with members of the Olympic team including Karen Chen, Mirai Nagasu and Gracie Gold all missing it for various reasons.

"To handle the pressure like she did, and to push the technical envelope as far as she's pushing it, at such a young age, is truly mind blowing," Olympic champion Tara Lipinski said, who was at the competition. "I think she's the future of U.S. ladies' figure skating."

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Olympic hero Nathan Adrian fighting testicular cancer

NATHAN ADRIAN WEBSITE

Olympic champion Nathan Adrian.

OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL winner Nathan Adrian revealed Thursday (Jan. 24) that he had been diagnosed with tssticular cancer.

Adrian, who has won five gold medals in swimming over three Olympic Games, told about  his diagnosis via Twitter and Instagram.

The 30-year old swimmer said he made his cancer public so he could share his health journey with the public “to help break the stigma of discussing men’s health issues.”

"Life, like swimming the 100 free, can come at you hard and fast as you can’t always see who, or what, may be chasing you down. Recently, I went to the doctor as something didn’t seem quite right," he wrote on his website.

"After a few tests and visits with a specialist, I unfortunately learned that I have Testicular Cancer. On the bright side, we caught it early, I have already started treatment and the prognosis is good. I will be back in the water in a few short weeks with my sights fully set on Tokyo! ... I am scheduled for surgery early next week and will provide an update soon. Thanks #menshealth#testicularcancer #standuptocancer," he wrote.

Adrian earned his degree in public health from the University of California, Berkeley, where he helped Cal win several national championships.

The Chinese American, who was born in Hong Kong, won his first Gold Medal in 2008 as a member of the 4x100 freestyle relay team led by legendary Michael Phelps. He repeated his feat in 2012 and 2016, where he also won the gold in the 100-meter freestyle.

Adrian, a Bay Area resident, confirmed the cancer diagnosis won't stop him for training for the 2020 Summer Olympics, which will be held in Tokyo.

However, he is uncertain about whether or not he will compete in the 2019 World Championships this summer in South Korea.

“I’ve realized that too often we tend to avoid these important topics, ignore the potential warning signs, and put off getting the medical help that we may need,” he wrote in his Instagram posting. “As I told my family, I’ll be putting my public health degree to work a little sooner than I planned! But in all seriousness, I am keeping a positive attitude as cases such as mine are curable.”

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Nathan Adrian is visited by his mother Cecilia Adrian in the hospital.

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Deported Korean American adoptee sues South Korea and adoption agency

 BB_Church via Flickr Creative Commons

Adam Crasper with Sen Jeff Markley

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He lived in the United States for nearly four decades, only to be deported in 2016 because of criminal convictions, including assault and weapons charges, and because his adoptive parents never filed citizenship papers for him.
Today, Adam Crasper, 43, is living life in Korea in a land he barely knows and separated from his wife and children in the United States.

“It’s a daily struggle to survive and to continue to want to push forward and want some justice and want some accountability and want some answers,” Crapser told AP. “For everything to fall apart and for everything to happen the way it has, most people wouldn’t be alive here to talk.”

Crasper was abused as an adopted child and abandoned by two different sets of adoptive parents.

The Columbian reports that Crasper, adopted at age 3, has now sued the South Korean government and a private adoption agency.

The lawsuit outlines an adoption system propped up by military dictatorships. The suit contends children were shipped out with little oversight and much speed.

He says he’s suing to force the Holt Children’s Services and the government to face tough questions in court.

Holt’s president says the agency followed the laws at the time and that it’s up to the parents to obtain citizenship for the child.

Crasper is one of five adoptees who have been deported from the U.S. and now living in Korea, but activists believe the number is much higher, according to Newser.

Some 200,000 South Koreans are believed to have been adopted overseas during the past six decades.

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TGIF Feature: Chef Ming joins #ChefsForFeds to feed furloughed federal workers

Celebrity chef Ming Tsai has joined the growing number of restaurants and chefs offering meals to federal workers who haven't been paid for over a month.

The 800,000 government workers who have been held hostage by Donald Trump haven't received a paycheck in 35 days and counting.

Federal employees have been lining up for his Shutdown Dumplings since Monday at Tsai's Blue Dragon restaurant in Boston. He's offering the dumplings for free to anyone who shows a government ID.

“The idea to offer Shutdown Dumplings came from idea that the restaurant industry is one big family,” Tsai told HuffPost. “Shutdown Dumplings came to be because we wanted to give back to government employees affected by the shutdown in a way that we knew how ― through food.”

Tsai says he was inspired by his friend and fellow chef Jose Andrés, who opened up a World Central Kitchen and pantry in Washington D.C. to help feed the thousands of government workers. Andrés founded his nonprofit after a hurricane devastated Puerto Rico to feed the island's residents. Since then, WCK has moved on to feed victims of other disasters, including the victims of the California wildfires.

Andrés reached out to Tsai after announcing #ChefsForFeds would go national in a tweet he posted last Saturday.

“We believe this is a national food emergency,” Andrés said. Restaurants across the nation have joined the movement after hearing Andrés' appeal.

"Count me in," said Tsai when contacted by #ChefsForFeds. "How can I not?" 

“If all of us chefs do a fraction of what José and World Central Kitchen has accomplished, the world will be a better place,” Tsai said. “I am blessed I have the capacity and team to do my small part.”

Several other Boston area restaurants have joined Tsai's efforts.

Mei Mei launched its #ChefsForFeds offer Tuesday (Jan. 23). “Our plan as of right now is between 2 to 7 p.m. every day, we’re going to be offering $15 off a meal with a federal ID, and we’re going to be able to do that for up to 20 meals per day,” restaurant cofounder Irene Li tells the Herald.

“We are very much a community-oriented business, and we work with a lot of community organizations that focus on hunger,” says Li. “Any time there’s an opportunity for us to be feeding people who are for whatever reason not able to pay . . . we’re really happy about that. What’s nice in this case is that feeding furloughed workers is not a particularly partisan issue. It’s a clearly positive thing to do regardless of your political beliefs. It’s not that often we get to do something that’s relevant to politics but not inherently politically charged.”

Andrés has been nominated for the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize for his work with World Central Kitchen; originally from Spain.

World Central Kitchen put a volunteer form on its website looking for restaurants, food trucks, nonprofits, and businesses interested in serving federal workers in their communities.

The first #ChefsForFeds kitchen opened at the ThinkFoodLab at 701 Pennsylvania Avenue NW last Wednesday. World Central Kitchen announced it had served 4,400 meals in the first day. The Hill reported that 5,500 meals were served on Thursday, followed by 6,488 on Friday.

“Isn’t it ironic,” Tsai tells HuffPost. “Eight thousand people . . . were fed in D.C. because the president wants to build a wall to keep out immigrants, but an immigrant is feeding your federal employees.”

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Duckworth opposes Supreme Court ruling on trans people serving in the military

The Supreme Court’s order Tuesday (Jan. 22) allows Donald Trump’s discriminatory ban on transgender service members to take effect, but leaves open the ruling to further legal challenges.

Immediately after the ruling, Iraq war combat veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released a blistering response:

“When I was bleeding to death in my Black Hawk helicopter on that dusty field in Iraq, I didn't care if the American troops risking their lives to help save me were gay, straight, transgender, black, white, male or female. All that mattered was they didn't leave me behind. If you are willing to risk your life for our country and you can do the job, you should be able to serve—no matter your gender identity or sexual orientation.

SEN. TAMMY DUCKWORTH

“Today’s decision is disheartening not only because it will help the Trump Administration discriminate against an ever-shrinking portion of our population who are willing to serve in uniform, but also because it enables the Administration to further disrupt to our military and weaken our national security," said Duckworth.

Duckworth, a Purple Heart recipient and former Assistant Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, was among the first Army women to fly combat missions during Operation Iraqi Freedom. She was shot down on a mission and lost her legs and partial use of her right arm.

The court's ruling will probably not be the final say on the policy. The justices took no stance on the legality of the ban, but their action clears the way for the policy to take effect while lower courts hear additional arguments.

“I hope the Court takes up this case and loudly and clearly tells the Administration that this sort of discrimination has no place in our military, and I hope my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in Congress will send the same message and show our servicemembers that we have their backs,” said Duckworth.

The 5-4 decision was an ideological split, with the conservatives forming the majority.
The four liberal justices objected to allowing the administration's policy banning most transgender people from serving in the military to go into effect.

The policy, first announced by Donald Trump in July 2017 via Twitter, and later officially released by then-Secretary of Defense James Mattis in 2018, blocks transgender  individuals from serving with limited exceptions. 

After the Supreme Court action, the Pentagon released a statement to clarify that its policy is not a ban on all transgender persons from the military.

"As always, we treat all transgender persons with respect and dignity. (The Department of Defense's) proposed policy is NOT a ban on service by transgender persons. It is critical that DoD be permitted to implement personnel policies that it determines are necessary to ensure the most lethal and combat effective fighting force in the world. DoD's proposed policy is based on professional military judgment and will ensure that the U.S. Armed Forces remain the most lethal and combat effective fighting force in the world," Lt. Col. Carla Gleason, a Pentagon spokesperson, told CNN.

There are currently about 15,500 transgender individuals serving in the military, according to a highly cited UCLA study.

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Study: Asian Americans prone to strokes

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A new study found that Asian Americans had more severe ischemic strokes, experienced greater hemorrhagic complications, and received less intravenous t-PA treatment than White patients, reports MedPageToday.
The main author of the study, Sarah Song with the Department of Neurological Sciences at Rush Medical College , compared clinical characteristics, outcomes and treatment patterns of 64,337 Asian Americans and 1,707,962 White patients with acute ischemic strokes.

After adjusting patient and hospital variables in the analysis, results showed that Asian Americans demonstrated greater stroke severity compared with White patients—experiencing higher in-hospital mortality, longer lengths in hospital stays, and less-likely independent ambulation following discharge, which researchers reported in JAMA Neurology. The data for the study came from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.

Dr. Song sees this as a necessary catalyst for additional research on clinical care and outcomes for Asian Americans.

“This is just one study, but it’s alarming,” Dr. Song told MedPage Today. “Asian Americans are the most rapidly growing ethnic group in the country. This study is a call to action that we need more research in this population.”

Last year, Dr. Song presented some of these findings in preliminary research at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference 2018. Song said in a statement about that earlier study, “This study highlights the need for more focused research, improved stroke prevention and possibly different treatment strategies for Asian Americans” reports NBC News.

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Crazy Rich Asians passed over by Oscar; Asian American filmmakersr get nominations

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'A Star Is Born' Director Bradley Cooper discusses a shot with Oscar nominee Matthew Libatique.

UPDATED: 11:30 a.m., Jan 23 to include trailers.

TO THE DISAPPOINTMENT of the millions of fans of Crazy Rich Asians, the groundbreaking movie failed to garner a single nomination for the Academy Awards.

Despite its cultural significance and box office success, the movie featuring an all-Asian cast, was passed over in the Oscar announcement Tuesday (Jan. 22).

The overlook of one of the year's most successful and popular movies is not surprising. The Oscars typically don't look at romantic comedies as Oscar contenders because they don't usually have the hair-tearing, screaming or knock emotional gut-wrenching scenes or awe-inspiring special effects associated with Oscar nominees. Rom-coms are just for laughs seems to be the general attitude of Academy members. Apparently, the human comedy is just not Oscar level material.

But that apparent bias didn't affect members of the Screen Actors Guild which nominated CRA's actors in its Best Cast category, SAG's equivalent to the best picture Oscar; or the Foreign Press awards known as the Golden Globes which nominated Constance Wu for Best Actress in A Comedy, or the Producers' Guild Awards which put CRA in the Best Picture category.

Perhaps the most disappointing oversight was failing to recognize Michelle Yeoh's performance in CRA as the protective mother of Henry Golding's character. Many critics thought that Yeoh would get a nod in the Best Supporting Actress category for her nuanced (not resorting to stereotypes) performance as Eleanor Young. Like I said, she didn't tear her hair out, overly emote or or speak in a British accent (Singaporean accents don't count.) that seems to a favorite among this year's nominations.

Oh, well.

Perhaps this year's nominations speaks more about the still dominant influence of the Academy's traditional (older, white) membership. I used to think that every actor was a voting member of the Academy but since the #OscarsSoWhite debacle, diversifying Academy membership has been a primary goal. Despite an influx of new members, it is still surprising that a great number of younger and actors of color have not been invited to join the Academy.

Other nominations of interest for AAPI film fans:

• Filipino American director of photography, Matthew Libatique, was nominated for his work for A Star is Born.
• Bao, a Pixar product directed by Domine Shi, was nominated for Best Short Film. 
• Minding the Gap  by Bing Liu and Diane Quon was nominated for Best Documentary.
• Free Solo directed by Jimmy  Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi was also nominated for Best Documentary.
• Mirai, from Japan and directed by Mamoru Hosoda was nominated for Best Animated Feature.

Check out the trailers:

CORRECTION: Earlier versions of this post erroneously said the Crazy Rich Asians cast won the SAG award for best Ensemble Cast. The SAG awards will take place on Jan. 27.

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Supreme Court won't hear DACA case this year

THE THOUSANDS of young immigrants taking part in the Obama-era program that shields them from deportation can breathe a little easier for at least another year.

When the U.S. Supreme Court decided Tuesday (Jan. 22) not to take on the Trump administration's request to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, it means that DACA will remain in place for the nearly 800,000 participants who were brought into the U.S. illegally by their parents.

The Obama administration created the DACA program in 2012 to provide work permits and protection from deportation to people who, in many cases, have no memory of any home other than the United States.

Of the 1.2 million immigrants who were eligible for DACA, 120,000 were Asian. These immigrants are from all parts of Asia, with significant numbers from Korea, China, and India.

Though Asians account for a significant and growing population of undocumented immigrants in the United States, they had some of the lowest application rates to DACA. According to the Migration Policy Institute, only about 20% of the eligible Korean population applied, and only 23% of eligible Filipinos and 20% of eligible Indians applied. But 82% of eligible Mexicans applied.

DACA participants would not be in this legal imbo if Donald Trump hadn't decided to end the program created by President Barack Obama. He didn't give a reason for ending the program in early 2018. 

Since then, the courts have ruled his edict illegal and kept the program in place. The Trump administration has appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the lower court rulings.

The earliest the justices could consider the case would be in its next term which starts in October. The High Court would then take months before it could render a decision.

Until then, DACA participants whose applications are due to expire are being allowed to renew.

On another front, Trump is using the DACA program as a bargaining chip in his attempts to build his Damn Wall on the border with Mexico. He has offered to extend DACA another three years if the Democrats would approve $5 billion for his wall.

Democrats have rejected his so-called compromise so Trump is continuing to refuse to approve funding to keep the government operating. About 800,000 fedral employees have not been paid for over a month. Most have been furloughed but about half are being asked to work for no pay.

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Manny Pacquiao beats Broner in unanimous decision

SCREEN CAPTURE / CBS

Manny Pacquiao landed a clean blow against Adrien Broner but failed to knock him down.

Manny Pacquiao proved that he is in better shape at age 40 than most of the rest of us at whatever age.

The Filipino boxer beat Adrien Broner last Saturday (Jan. 19) in Las Vegas with a unanimous decision by all three judges. It was the 61st victory in the fighter's storied career.

Pacquiao landed 112 of 568 thrown punches. Broner threw only 295 punches and landed just 50.

Two judges favored Pacquiao by a 116-112 score, while the third had it 117-111.

There were no knockdowns, but Pacquiao landed the heavier punches — and lots of them.

For Pacquiao fans, it might have looked like a flashback to the the fighter's glory days when he held multiple crowns in various weight divisions. He showed he still has the speed that carried him over his 24-year career. Clearly, he was the better fighter in this match but he also showed that the power he was noted for has diminished with age. Despite some strong on-targe blows, he was never able to drop Broner.

Naturally, whenever Pacquiao fights, the subject of a rematch with unbeaten Floyd Mayweather came up.

"Tell (Floyd) to come back to the ring and then we will fight,” said Pacquiao. “I’m willing to fight him again, to fight Floyd Mayweather.”

In 2015, Mayweather easily handed Pacquiao a defeat in the much-ballyhood fight to determine who was the best pound-for-pound in the world. It had the richest purse of any fight in history and a repeat of that prize that may be the only draw to bring Mayweather out of retirement.

The 42-year old fighter was at ringside for the Pacquiao-Broner bout but refused to respond to inquiries about a possible rematch with the Filipino boxer, who when not training for a fight is a senator in the Philippines and still retains hero status among his countrymen in the Philippines and around the world.

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Rosa Parks award given to Indian American

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Indian American entrepreneur Gurinder Singh Khalsa was presented with the Rosa Parks Trailblazer Award for his campaign that pushed US authorities to alter their policies towards Sikh headgear, reports NDTV.
In 2007, 45-year-old Sikh was not allowed to board an airplane because of his turban. He was then motivated to take action and mobilized more than 67,000 people nationwide for petitions, eventually taking the issue to Congress, which forced changes in policy by the Transportation and Security Administration (TSA).

Thanks to his work, Sikhs are now allowed to wear their turbans through airport security in the US, and as long as they do not set off any alarms, security agents cannot force them to remove their turbans, according to The Times of India.

“I was prevented from boarding the flight because I refused to remove my turban,” said Khalsa, who heads Sikhs Political Affairs Committee in Indiana. “I took this stand for all those who believe in religious liberty and freedom of faith.

“This award is not about me. Change does not exist without the support of a community. I dedicate this award to more than 67,000 individuals from all walks of life across America, and to one of the largest Sikh advocacy group, Sikh Coalition. Without their countless efforts change in the TSA Turban policy would not exist.”

Attendees of the award ceremony included state officials and community leaders, according to The Tribune.

“Sometimes those who bravely protest for civil rights are stereotyped as somehow threatening figures – perhaps simply because of the raw courage required to fight for justice,” said Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill. “But in the personalities of both Gurinder and Rosa, we see the great power of quiet resolve.

“I know that Gurinder in his lifetime has experienced and witnessed certain perceptions and situations that have been unjust. But in his cheerful and dignified manner, he has stood for justice and free speech and freedom of religion and for so many truly American principles that make our nation great.”
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Kamala Harris is running for president

View Sen. Kamala Harris' statement.

UPDATED, 12 a.m., Jan. 22.

"I'm running for President of the United States," said Sen. Kamala Harris in an email to her supporters sent early this morning (Jan. 21).

In declaring her candidacy on Martin Luther King Day, the ethnically mixed Harris becomes the first woman of African American descent to declare her candidacy for 2020 and also the first Indian American to run for the highest office in the country.

When asked at a press conference held at her alma mater, Howard University, later Monday, when asked about her ethnicity and how she describes herself, Harris laughed: "Did you read my book? I'm a proud American."

Her email to her supporters follows:

Decency. Justice. Truth. Equality. Freedom. Democracy.

These aren’t just words: they’re the values we, as Americans, cherish. Right now, they’re all on the line.

We face the greatest crisis of leadership we’ve seen in our lifetimes, and powerful voices are filling the void, sowing hate and division among us.

We’ve witnessed an Administration that aligns itself with dictators and refers to white supremacists as “very fine people.” They’ve torn babies from their mothers’ arms and put children in cages.

They’ve slashed taxes for corporations and the wealthiest among us -- placing the burden on the middle class. They’ve actively fought against efforts to combat climate change. Time and again, they’ve sabotaged our country’s health care. And they’ve attacked our free and independent press at every turn.

We know America is better than this -- but it's on us to build it. We’re going to have to fight for it.

I’m ready to take on that fight alongside you. That’s why, today, I’m proud to announce that I’m running for President of the United States.

 I want to be clear: ours will not be a campaign against our current president. It will be a campaign FOR the very future of our country. FOR the people.

Together, we will fight FOR a country with strong public schools in every zip code. A country where one job is enough to pay the bills. A country with full, universal health care for every single American. 

Together, we will fight FOR a country where getting a college education doesn’t mean taking on a lifetime of debt. Where middle-class and working families are prioritized with tax breaks, not corporations or the wealthiest 1%. Where every single person can retire with dignity. Where every single person can breathe clean air and drink clean water. Where Black women aren’t three to four times more likely to die in childbirth than white women. A country where for-profit prison businesses -- a billion-dollar industry -- are a thing of the past. We’re going to fight FOR an America where all our civil rights are respected.

We’re going to seek truth and speak truth. That’s my promise to you.

Ours is a fight born of optimism -- of the promise of what our country can become if we unite behind a common cause. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to earn your vote and -- most importantly -- your trust.

Let’s do this,

Kamala Harris

Harris fights an uphill battle against better known candidates. According to polls, she ranks below former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Bernie Sanders and newcomer Beto O'Roarke, who ran a spirited, albeit unsuccessful, campaign against incumbent Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.

However, she is higher ranked among the women candidate that includes Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Hawaii's Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and New York's Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand -- all who have declared their candidacies or launched exploratory committees earlier this month.

The men who have declared their candidacies thus far, include: Texas' Julian Castro, the former HUD Secretary under Obama, former Maryland Rep. John Delaney, who declared his intentions in June last year and entrepreneur Andrew Yang, who declared about a year ago.

All-in-all, about two dozen Democrats have expressed an interest in being the Democrats' nominee for president. The number of candidates -- including the most women to run for president -- will be a gauntlet for whoever the nominee will be. The debates and likely negative attacks could weaken or expose weaknesses for whoever the Democrats choose in the Democratic National Convention in the summer of 2020.

Harris will officially launch her campaign next Sunday, 12 noon on July 27, at Frank Ogawa Plaza in her hometown of Oakland, Calif. You need to RSVP to attend.

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Kamala Harris says .... 'no' to Barr

SCREEN CAPTURE / CNN

Sen. Kamala Harris questions AG nominee William Barr.

By the time you read this, California's Sen. Kamala Harris may have released a statement about her intentions for 2020 presidential elections.

UPDATE 10 a.m., Jan. 21: Kamala Harris is running for president

The Indian American lawmaker said last month that she would announce her decision about 2020 after the holidays. Earlier this month, it was announced that she will make her intentions known on MLK Day - today.

While the government remains shut down, Harris has been doing her job tending to other matters.

In a statement, Harris became the first prominent Democrat to say she would not vote for William Barr, Donald Trump's nominee for Attorney General.

She criticized Barr for his support of a wall along the Mexican border and his record on civil rights while attorney general under President George H.W. Bush.

Harris also said she was concerned about Barr's refusal to recuse himself from overseeing special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into election meddling.

“While I respect Mr. Barr’s past public service, I do not believe he will defend independent investigations from attacks, embrace a smart approach to public safety, and ensure equal protection under the law for every single American,” she said.

As a member of the Senate's Judiciary Committee, Harris took part in questioning Barr. In response to Barr’s insistence that he would not recuse himself if he personally disagreed with ethics officials’ recommendation, Harris sought clarification on why precisely he might disregard that guidance:

Harris: Let’s imagine it’s a judgment call and the judgment by the career ethics officials in the agency are that you recuse yourself. Under what scenario would you not follow their recommendation?

Barr: If I disagreed with it.

Harris: And what would the basis of that disagreement be?

Barr: I came to a different judgment.

And on other matters ...

If Sen. Harris makes an announcement about th 2020 presidential campaign, check back later.

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MLK's monument's Chinese designer: 'King's vision is still living, in our minds; ..., we still need him'"

DC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

The likeness of Martin Luther King emerges out of the Stone of Hope

Like the Vietnam War Memorial designed by Maya Lin, the sculpture at the centerpiece of the memorial to civil rights leader Martin Luther King was sculpted by an Asian artist.

Today (Jan. 21) we remember the assassinated American hero who inspired a movement that changed the course of the United States tand benefited all Americans but chiefly ensured the rights of people of color and immigrants. His inspiration broke the boundaries of intolerance and even national borders, as he became a symbol, recognized worldwide of the quest for civil rights of the world's citizens.

The winning MLK monument design is by Master Lei Yixin, a citizen of China. His sculture, chosen from an international competition, was inspired by the line from King's "I Have a Dream" speech, "Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope."

Visitors walk through two massive white granite halves of the "Mountain of Despair" to reach the "Stone of Hope," from which the sculpture of King emerges. 

"Dr. King's vision is still living, in our minds; we still miss him, we still need him," said Yixin through a translator, calling the sculpture the most important of his life, technically and emotionally. "I am trying to present Dr. King as ready to step out ... this is King's spirit, to judge people from their character, not race, color or background." 

Lei's selection in an international competition was not without controversy. The Chinese sculptor's monumental works in China caught the eye of Ed Jackson, the executive architect of the Martin Luther King Foundation, who named Lei the head sculptor for the "Stone of Hope" monument in 2007.

PINTEREST

Lei Yixin sculpts a large size model that expresses thoughtful hope.

African American sculptor Ed Dwight was quoted by the Washington Post at the time as arguing that because Lei is not black, "he doesn't know how black people walk, how they stand, how their shoulders slope." In May 2008, the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts called the artist's design "too confrontational," and recommended that the monument be rethought.

Lei has clearly sought to sensitively portray his subject. Lei said that "you can see the hope" in King's face, according to the Tribune Chronicle. "But his serious demeanor also indicated that he's thinking."

The 30-foot sculpture, which was done in China and shipped to the U.S., depicts the civil rights leader emerging from a block of white granite. Standing stiffly to attention with arms crossed and a serious expression on his face, King is depicted as stern and authoritative.

Lei intends the visitor to walk through the mountain of despair to the stone of hope. The memorial’s stone of hope appears to be quarried (hewed) from a larger stone, a slow a laborious process, much like the process to end racial segregation and discrimination in the U.S. The stone has been pushed forward, symbolizing the forward progress in the achievement of civil rights in America.

The unfinished likeness of King is intentional ; just as his life was tragically cut short at just 39 years of age, and just as the movement for civil rights he helped lead is unfinished today. King is looking south toward the horizon, paper, possibly a speech or sermon in hand, in a defiant pose, symbolizing his defiance of injustice.

The ROMA Design Group, the San Francisco architecture firm that designed the project before Lei was picked as sculptor. The monument's official address is 1964 Independence Avenue SW, in honor of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the landmark legislation in which King played an important role.

The dedication had been planned for Aug. 28, 2011, the 48th anniversary of King's "I Have a Dream" speech. But it was delayed by Hurricane Irene, which swept through Washington with high winds and rain. It was finally unveiled in October 16, 2011 by President Barack Obama, the country's first black President.

The MLK Memorial opens to the National Mall Tidal Basin.

The following quotations are engraved on the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial:

Statue

"Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope."
From the "I Have A Dream" speech in Washington, D.C. on August 28, 1963. The quotation serves as the theme of the overall design of the memorial, which realizes the metaphorical mountain and stone.

South Wall

"We shall overcome because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice."
Washington National Cathedral, March 31, 1968.

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that."
Strength to Love, 1963.

"I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant."
Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, Oslo, Norway, 1964.

"Make a career of humanity. Commit yourself to the noble struggle for equal rights. You will make a better person of yourself, a greater nation of your country, and a finer world to live in."
March for Integrated Schools, April 18, 1959.

DIOKNO

Martin Luther King's words are an inspiration for all Americans.

"I oppose the war in Vietnam because I love America. I speak out against it not in anger but with anxiety and sorrow in my heart, and above all with a passionate desire to see our beloved country stand as a moral example of the world."
Anti-War Conference, Los Angeles, California, February 26, 1967.

"If we are to have peace on earth, our loyalties must become ecumenical rather than sectional. Our loyalties must transcend our race, our tribe, our class, and our nation; and this means we must develop a world perspective."
Christmas sermon, Atlanta, Georgia, 1967.

North Wall

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly."
Letter from Birmingham, Alabama jail, April 16, 1963.

"I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality, and freedom for their spirits."
Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, Oslo, Norway, 1964

"It is not enough to say 'We must not wage war.' It is necessary to love peace and sacrifice for it. We must concentrate not merely on the negative expulsion of war, but the positive affirmation of peace."
Anti-War Conference, Los Angeles, California, February 25, 1967.

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of convenience and comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."
Strength to Love, 1963.

"Every nation must now develop an overriding loyalty to mankind as a whole in order to preserve the best in their individual societies."
New York City, April 4, 1967.

"We are determined here in Montgomery to work and fight until justice runs 'down like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream.'"
Montgomery, Alabama, December 5, 1955. Here, King borrows a verse from the Bible, the Book of Amos, which he frequently reused in speeches.

"We must come to see that the end we seek is a society at peace with itself, a society that can live with its conscience."
Montgomery, Alabama, March 25, 1965.

"True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice."
Stride Toward Freedom, 1958

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