Omar King USA TODAY Thursday 20240523

Rent increases are leaving many Americans frustrated and struggling to make ends meet. As housing costs continue to rise, renters are becoming disillusioned with politicians. This issue is particularly important in swing states crucial to President Biden's re-election bid, where rental costs have more than doubled in the past four years. The lack of affordable housing and high rent prices have led to increased anxiety and economic hardships for many households. This could have consequences in the upcoming November election. The Biden administration has proposed a housing plan to address the issue, but congressional action is needed to curb rental inflation. Advocates are calling for rental caps on federally subsidized properties to alleviate the burden on low-income workers and people of color. Overall, the housing crisis and rising rents are major concerns for voters and could impact the outcome of the election. This program is intended for a print-impaired audience and is brought to you by the Georgia Radio Reading Service, GARS. Welcome to our reading of the USA Today. I'm Omar King for the Georgia Radio Reading Service. Today is Thursday, May 23, 2024. Our first article comes to us from the front page. Big rent increases leave crucial voters frustrated. Bank states bear brunt of rate growth by Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy of the USA Today. John Pike's biggest fear is ending up on the street. For years, the retired 80-year-old Madison, Wisconsin resident has barely made ends meet with no discretionary income to speak of. Most of his Social Security check of $1,578 goes toward rent. At $1,220, that's more than 77% of his monthly income. Between the rising cost of food prices since the pandemic and his prescription medication, there's hardly anything left. When his lease expires in September, the rent on his apartment where he's lived for the past 24 years will go up to $1,600. That's an amount he cannot afford. My big worry is that I may be homeless again, said Pike, who has held a series of jobs, including as a translator and a programmer. His fear is well-founded. Pike experienced homelessness in the 1980s after losing his job. Like more than 50% of Americans, he is a paycheck away from a disaster. The U.S. experienced a 12% increase in homelessness from 2022 to 2023 as rent soared and pandemic resources evaporated, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development. I have been very anxiety-ridden. I will be honest and tell you I think I have developed PTSD, Pike said. Pike, a registered independent, says he has generally voted for Democratic candidates, but this November, he's unsure he'll vote at all, given his experience dealing with skyrocketing rents and economic hardship. I don't think the federal government as a whole has done enough for people in my circumstance, he said. It prioritizes weapons of war and defense spending and does not prioritize the health and welfare of all its citizens. Housing and the economy have long worried American voters, polling shows, but as housing costs continue to be the biggest driver of core inflation, renters are feeling increasingly disillusioned with politicians. In some swing states, which are critical to President Joe Biden's re-election bid, rental costs have more than doubled in the past four years. In fact, six out of the top 10 markets and 34 of the top 100 markets with the largest increases are in swing states, according to a USA Today analysis of data obtained exclusively from Rent.com. The states considered for this analysis are Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Economic worries compound for many households. Not paying attention to renters' concerns, especially as rent skyrockets in swing states crucial to Biden's re-election bid, could be costly in the November election. For example, two metro areas in Wisconsin, where Pike lives, rank second and third with higher than 100% rent increases from 2020 to 2024. The 10 metro areas with the largest increases are Hickory, Lenore, Morganton, North Carolina 111%, Oshkosh, Neenah, Wisconsin 106%, Racine, Wisconsin 100%, Waco, Texas 94%, Port St. Lucie, Florida 75%, Fayetteville, North Carolina 75%, Daphne, Fairhope, Folly, Alabama 67%, Burlington, North Carolina 64%, Syracuse, New York 64%, and Sierra Vista, Douglas, Arizona 63%. David Rivera-Kohr, a 26-year-old graduate student at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, says the housing crisis is one of the issues that dissuades him from voting for either major political party. Rent is the aspect of inflation that concerns me the most, said Rivera-Kohr, one of Pike's neighbors. People can sometimes find ways to cut back on expenses like gas and groceries, but this is just not an option for rent. Underpaying rent means losing your home. Housing costs continue to be the single largest driver of core inflation, a measure that excludes volatile food and gas prices. The cost of shelter, which is basically based on rent prices, was up 5.5% in April compared with a year ago, according to the Labor Department's Consumer Price Index. While there are many positive indicators for how the economy is doing, such as unemployment numbers, jobs reports, and lowering inflation, it hasn't brought much solace to households dealing with high rents, as well as elevated food and fuel prices. Consumer sentiment fell to a six-month low in May, as inflation expectations rose and marked a one-month decline of 12.7%, according to the preliminary report for the Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index, a monthly survey of consumer confidence levels in the U.S. conducted by the University of Michigan. While consumers had been reserving judgment for the past few months, they now perceive negative developments on a number of dimensions, said Joanne Suh, director of consumer surveys at the university. They expressed worries that inflation, unemployment, and interest rates may all be moving in an unfavorable direction in the year ahead. Recent polling data also point to the grim reality of Americans' assessment of Biden's economic stewardship on the economy. 46% of U.S. adults said they have a great deal or a fair amount of confidence in likely GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump to do or recommend the right thing for the economy, while fewer said the same of Biden, 38%, according to a Gallup poll conducted April 1-22. It's among the lowest Gallup has measured for any president since 2001. Biden's top aides say he is laser-focused on the kitchen table issues voters are most concerned about. During his State of the Union speech in March, for instance, he directly spoke to the American public about housing challenges and shrinkflation, and the measures he was proposing to address them. In Biden's budget for fiscal year 2025, he has sought an investment of more than $258 billion to build or preserve more than 2 million housing units to lower rents and make housing more affordable. Years of underbuilding in the aftermath of the Great Recession has contributed to a lack of housing inventory, which has put upward pressure on rents and home prices. Given current market conditions, renters are bound to stay renters for longer. Low inventory and high mortgage rates have made entry to home ownership more challenging, experts say. The number of units did not come close to meeting the demand, Lael Brainard, Biden's National Economic Council director, told USA Today. Nothing significant was done in the previous administration. We've got this big gap, and the increase in rent is a result of that lack of action to address the growing affordable housing gap. After the latest CPI numbers were released last week, showing a slight easing of month-over-month inflation but still growing rental inflation, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that while she didn't have a progress report on the plan to increase housing inventory, the president was focused on the issue. In response to a question posed by USA Today during a press briefing last week, Jean-Pierre said taking action is important and critical to many Americans and their families across the country, but Jean-Pierre said congressional action was needed to curb rental inflation. To address this in a more holistic way, we have to see legislation. We have to see Congress act, she said. Brainard said Biden's proposed housing plan meets the moment by including moving to ban rental junk fees and reducing closing costs for homeowners. It addresses one of the areas that pose the greatest affordability challenges for working families, which is a huge priority for the president, Brainard told USA Today. The Biden administration also pointed to the rental assistance provided to 100,000 additional households and $60 billion invested through the president's American Rescue Plan deployed to improve housing access. The plan includes rental assistance, homelessness prevention and services, homeowner assistance, and affordable housing. In Saginaw, a city in Michigan's top bellwether Saginaw County, Charles Allen says he feels stuck. His rent on the two-bedroom duplex went up $550 in 2020 and $775 in 2023 after his old landlord sold the building last year. The new owner has refused to give Allen a new lease and suspects it's because they plan to raise the rent again. Houses in Saginaw, a majority black city where more than a third of the population lives in poverty, have gone up by 51% from 2020 to 2024, according to the USA Today analysis. There hasn't been any updates or paint on the walls like since 2017, he said. Allen has been searching for a three-bedroom apartment for months so his six-year-old twin son and daughter can have a room of their own. He says what he could have rented for a little over $1,000 four years ago now goes for $1,502 in the reasonable part of town. It's a system that's broken because if I pay $1,500 in rent, where do I have to buy a house? I'm going to be struggling check to check and that's what I'm trying to avoid, he said. Advocates call for rental caps on federally subsidized properties. Last month, the Biden administration instituted a 10% limit on increases at rental properties financed through the low-income housing tax credit program. While housing advocates hailed the move, they said it should be expanded. Rent caps should be attached to every dollar of federal subsidy and financing, including in all properties purchased with federally backed mortgages, said Tenant Union Federation Director Tara Rugevier. High rents disproportionately hurt people under 40, low-income workers, and people of color, the very constituencies the president needs to win re-election, Rugevier told USA Today. The question isn't whether there's anything the Biden administration can do, it's whether they are willing to do what's needed most, rent regulation, she added. The rent is too damn high. One reason why many of the metros with the highest increases on the list are not the usual suspects, such as New York or Los Angeles, or even cities such as Austin that experienced price growth during the pandemic, is that smaller cities had room to grow, said Daryl Fairweather, the chief economist for real estate company Redfin. Cities such as Austin, for example, that saw a boom in prices over the pandemic when people were fleeing the traditional big cities, are now seeing a correction, whereas places like Hickory, North Carolina, which topped the charts in the analysis, were previously undiscovered and had room to grow. I think that is what's driving the more local trends right now, and those leftover places that maybe were overlooked during the pandemic, now are the remaining affordable options and are attracting more people and more renters, and driving up prices, Fairweather said. Fairweather says the federal government can put carrots and sticks in place to incentivize local governments to change their zoning laws. They could directly subsidize new construction, especially for housing that is going to be affordable, she said. With current high interest rates, she suggests providing tax deductions for new construction loans or other incentives to get more construction underway. Allen, who works as a social organizer and makes $40,000 a year, says he feels like the working poor. He voted for Biden the last time, but says he's feeling a lot less enthusiastic this time. I'm hoping that the president understands that he has to earn our vote, my vote. He has to earn it. So hearing us talk about affordable housing, those are big deals for me, he said. We work so hard, and then we don't have enough to do more with it, we're just supporting our bills. In 2022, half of all U.S. renters were cost burdened, according to America's Rental Housing 2024, published by the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies. Renter households spending more than 30 percent of their income on rent and utilities rose by $2 million in just three years, to a record high of $22.4 million, according to the report. Rivera Corr said the new property owners have been massively jacking up prices. He currently pays $1,225 a month based on the lease he signed with the old landlord. By September, it will jump to $1,650. As steep as it is, he said, he has been more worried about some of his neighbors, including Pike. With these new rents, their monthly income is actually going to be less than their rent, said Rivera Corr. Not only can they not afford that, they're going to have to make really impactful sacrifices, but they kind of are stuck because a lot of them are not even physically capable of moving. In his view, neither Democrats nor Republicans are willing to enact programs that would earnestly address this issue, such as universal basic income and greatly expanded subsidized housing. Neither party is willing to do what it takes to fund these programs, like impose strict taxes on their super-wealthy corporate donors or cut the military budget, said Rivera Corr, a registered Democrat who voted for Biden in 2020. As of now, he is undecided who will get his vote, but said he was leaning toward Cornel West. The Biden campaign defended the president's housing record. Joe Biden knows how hard middle-class families work to put food on the table. That's why he has taken aggressive executive action to help build the housing we need and bring down the cost of rent, said Charles Lukwak, a Biden campaign spokesperson. Meanwhile, the Trump campaign did not offer any specific plans to tackle high rent prices. Trump will re-implement his America First agenda of low taxes, lower prices, and higher wages, Carolyn Levitt, a national spokeswoman for the Trump campaign, said in an email. After living in the apartment complex in Madison for 24 years, Pike has come to the conclusion that he can't afford to live there anymore. He is currently looking for an apartment in Stoughton, 23 miles southeast of Madison, where rents are slightly cheaper. I have no choice, he said. This concludes the reading of the article. The article also includes some photos of demonstrators as they push for renters' rights in affordable housing at the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing in September. Rental costs have risen since the pandemic, and Michigan and other swing states are seeing some of the highest rate increases. Voters' concerns could be a major factor in November's presidential election. This concludes our reading of Big Rent Increases Leave Crucial Voters Frustrated, Swing States Bear Brunt of Rate Growth by Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy of the USA Today. Our next article comes to us from the money section of the USA Today. Is Fed Too Rigid on 2% Inflation Goal? Some say yes and worry it will spur bigger issues by Paul Davison of the USA Today. The article includes a photo of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. As he dismissed talk the Fed could be okay with inflation that settles above 2%. 2% inflation is more than just the Federal Reserve's goal. One could argue, as it works to wrestle down pandemic-related price increases that have plagued U.S. households over the past three years, it's the Fed's holy grail, its lodestar, its mantra. Lately, though, the 2% target feels more like the economy's got it, a remedy to its inflation woes that seemed tantalizingly close not long ago, but now appears further away, raising questions about whether it will arrive at all. The dilemma may have significant implications for consumers, investors, and the U.S. economy. Fed officials have said they won't start cutting interest rates, which would lower borrowing costs for millions of Americans, boost economic growth, and further juice a bullish stock market until inflation is moving sustainably toward the 2% target. But with the economy showing early signs of faltering, some top forecasters are increasingly asking some version of this question. What's so magical about 2%? And does the Fed really need to wait until inflation approaches the seemingly sacrosanct objective to start trimming its key interest rate, which has hovered at 23-year highs since last summer? I don't think 2% is the right number, says Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody's Analytics. Don't sacrifice the economy on the altar of the 2% target. Other forecasters say the Fed has no choice but to stick almost religiously to the 2% goal so that consumers and businesses believe the Fed will do what it says and yearly price increases really will fall to 2%. If people don't expect to slow to 2%, that itself could keep inflation elevated. The worry is you lose credibility. If the Fed monkeys with the target, says Jonathan Miller, Barclays senior U.S. economist, where did the 2% target come from? The Fed raises its key short-term interest rate to increase borrowing costs and cool the economy and inflation. It lowers the rate to reduce rates on credit cards, mortgages, and other loans, and jumpstart growth. New Zealand was the first country to adopt a 2% inflation target in the late 1980s. The Fed privately embraced the benchmark in the mid-1990s, but didn't formally announce it and make it part of its policy until 2012. Many other developed regions, including Europe, Japan, and Canada, have 2% inflation goals. In the decade after the Great Recession of 2007 and 2009, annual inflation mostly languished below 2% because of a glacial recovery from the crisis. By 2019, the Fed tweaked the goal and stated that it would aim for inflation that averages 2% over time, allowing the measure to hover somewhat above the target for a while to make up for periods when it fell short. That, officials hoped, would help jolt a listless economy. So how did the pandemic affect inflation? The new approach became irrelevant as the pandemic and the nation's recovery from it sparked booming growth, along with inflation that soared to a 40-year high. The Fed, in turn, hiked its federal funds rate from near zero to a range of 5.25% to 5.5%. Last year, as pandemic-related product and labor shortages largely resolved, the Fed's preferred measure of core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy items, tumbled rapidly from about 5% to 3%. Fed officials forecast three rate cuts in 2024, propelling the stock market to record highs. But since December, with inflation running hot, the price gouge has been stuck at 2.8% to 2.9%, tossing some cold water on the market rally. A better-but-still-not-great inflation report last week cheered investors and drove the Dow Jones Industrial Average to close above 40,000 for the first time Friday. Most economists and future markets now expect the Fed to reduce rates once or twice this year. What will inflation be in 2024? Here's the problem. If monthly price increases slow from the recent range of 0.3% to 0.4% to a more typical 0.2% as many economists expect, Miller reckons that would still leave annual inflation at 2.9% by the end of the year, above March's 2.8% reading. That's because monthly price gains eased substantially during the second half of 2023, widening the gap between price levels a year ago and what they're likely to be later this year. So does that mean rates stay where they are? Not necessarily. Fed Chair Jerome Powell has said that inflation doesn't need to be at 2% for officials to start cutting rates as long as it's moving sustainably in the right direction. If monthly price increases edge down to 0.2% in coming months, that should be enough for the Fed to lower rates once. In September, even if yearly inflation remains high, Miller says, but it wouldn't take much to undercut even the middle ground scenario. If monthly price bumps average 0.3% for the rest of the year, just a tick higher, that would leave annual inflation at a whopping 3.8% by December, says Gray Dacco, chief economist of the EY Parthenon. In that case, don't expect many rate cuts in 2024. So what is causing high inflation? Just a few products and services are keeping inflation elevated. A persistent rise in housing costs has made up 36% of monthly price increases, according to one inflation measure. Rent has declined for tenants signing new leases, but that shift has been slow to filter into existing leases. And if a quirky and controversial measure of rent for single-family homes is removed from the Fed's preferred price measure, inflation is already below 2%, Sandy says. Also car insurance premiums were up 23% annually in March, even though new vehicle prices have dropped after a pandemic-induced spike, because it takes time for state regulators to improve insurance companies' proposed rate increases. But smaller increases or declines should be on the way. The cost of financial services has risen sharply because of the market rally, which has increased investment company fees that are based on a percentage of the assets they manage. The outlook for these costs isn't affected by interest rates, Dacco says, and so they shouldn't cause the Fed to keep rates high. Miller disagrees, saying that high borrowing costs can discourage hiring and slow pay increases in other industries, like car repairs and haircuts, pushing down inflation overall. Is the job market good right now? Fed officials have said they can afford to wait for inflation to ease before lowering rates, because the economy and labor market are still sturdy, with monthly job growth averaging a robust 245,000 this year. Sandy and Dacco, however, see signs of weakness. Just 175,000 jobs were added in April, and while net monthly payroll gains have been strong this year because of low layoffs, hiring and the share of workers switching jobs have dipped below pre-pandemic levels. An underlying measure of retail sales dropped in April, and low- and middle-income Americans are struggling with record credit card debt and historically high delinquencies, Zandi Dacco says. With the economy wobbling, something could break, Zandi says. Why take a chance by keeping rates high? So is 2% a good inflation rate? Zandi argues that 2% inflation target no longer makes sense. With the economy's potential growth lower than it was in the 1990s, he says the Fed should tolerate 3% inflation so its long-term interest rate can be higher, giving officials more room to cut in a recession before it reaches zero. And Dacco advocates for allowing some wiggle room around the 2% target so the Fed has more flexibility to respond to unforeseen economic developments. So should the Fed raise its inflation target? Here's the rub. The Feds can't adjust its 2% inflation goal because the credibility of that target would be undermined severely, Miller says. The public would think that just because it becomes tough or lower inflation, you throw on the towel, he says, on the belief that inflation will stay elevated. Investors would ask for bigger raises, and companies would boost prices more sharply, perpetuating high inflation, Miller says. Also, many investors have bought bonds with returns that modestly top inflation on the expectation that the Fed will keep inflation at 2%. If the central bank modifies the goal, it's almost like you're reneging on a contract, he says. When can we expect the Fed to lower interest rates? What exactly, when the Fed lowers rates, is a judgment call. Powell has said officials could cut even if inflation stays elevated if the labor market weakens unexpectedly. Zandi and Dacco think that's already happening. Dacco believes the Fed will start reducing rates in July. Only time will tell if cutting in September, as markets predict, means the Fed will have waited too long and sparked a recession, he says. In other words, although the Fed can't officially change its inflation target, it could err on the side of trimming rates sooner than later, knowing the goal doesn't need to be so rigid, Zandi and Dacco say. Don't hold your breath at news conferences. Powell has firmly dismissed suggestions the Fed could be content with inflation that settles above 2%. This month, he said, well, of course, we're not satisfied with 3% inflation. 3% can't be, in a sentence, what's satisfied. This concludes the reading from an article from the Money section of the USA Today, Is Fed Too Rigid on 2% Inflation Goal? Some say yes, and worry it will spur bigger issues, by Paul Davison of the USA Today. From the Sports section comes a story of Emmitt Smith ripping his alma mater over DEI. NFL legend criticizes Florida for nixing rolls. Emmitt Smith probably wasn't the first NFL legend who expected to stick his neck out as such a powerful voice for DEI, diversity, equity, and inclusion, as opposition intensifies on many fronts. Think again. During a wide-ranging interview with USA Today Sports, Smith, 55, passionately doubled down on the scathing statement he issued in March that denounced the elimination of DEI programs at his alma mater, the University of Florida. The school's action was prompted by a controversial state law passed in 2023 that bans Florida public universities and colleges from any spending on DEI. Smith's position comes from the thinking that his huge issue is way bigger than himself. When I see them destroying DEI for the sake of politics, it's not even common sense, Smith said. This is just sheer out of spite and sheer power. At the end of the day, this country was built on people fighting for what is right for everybody, not just a select few. And with that fight, and with the University of Florida being as visible as it is, it irked me to the fullest, because I remember the time when our president at the university would stand up and say, no, we're the University of Florida. We're going to be here a lot longer than you, Governor Ron DeSantis, a lot longer than you, Jeb Bush. We're going to be here a lot longer than any other governor that tries to push something that this magnitude down the throats of so many Americans and so many Florida citizens. To me, that's a problem. What compelled the former Dallas Cowboy star to issue this statement? One being an alumnus, having contributed as much as I did on the football field and to walk away with the University of Florida degree and feeling I'm a part of the university from afar and still at heart, I was extremely disappointed, said Smith, who has flourished in the real estate business in the 20 years since his NFL career ended. Because when I was in college and everywhere I've been, they always talked about leadership and how we needed to become leaders, especially athletes. If that doesn't provide the sense that one of the Gators' most famous figures is rather esteemed with his school, just ask him to reflect what it might have been like if college football players during his era in the late 1980s had received money from the type of name, image, and likeness agreements now allowed in college sports. Bro, I want my reparations right now from the University of Florida, Smith said. I want to send their explicative a bill. I want interest on mine because I know one thing. When I was at the stadium, I hate to talk about myself, but the system was forced me to talk about it because we couldn't get NIL payments. Running up and down that field with Cedric Smith leading the way with my great offensive lineman blocking for me. When you looked up in those stands, you saw a whole lot of E. Smith jerseys up there. E. Smith 22s. You can look at the old videos and see how many jerseys were walking around. I didn't receive one red cent. So let's not talk about dismantling DEI at a time I think DEI happens to be a consequence of NIL. You get one, they take the other one away. It's strategic. Smith's attempt to connect DEI and NIL is a bit of a stretch when considering that the overwhelmingly majority of people afflicted by DEI extends way beyond athletics, a point that Smith makes himself. Then again, don't stop him. He's on a roll. And it's no wonder that the three-time Super Bowl winner suspect there's some connection that for two highest revenue college sports, black athletes represented 54% of division one basketball players and 48% of D1 football players in 2023, according to an NCAA database. Then there's the apparent movement to eliminate the spirit of DEI on so many levels. Florida is hardly alone. At least 30 states have introduced or passed legislation to restrict or regulate DEI initiatives. And last year, the US Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling that restricted race conscious college admissions. Meanwhile, in the corporate world, a growing number of companies have pulled back DEI initiatives that were instituted after the heinous death of George Floyd in 2020. All of that went by the wayside, said Smith, referring to the DEI commitment in some corners of the corporate environment. In other words, they said, this is for the moment. And again, that just goes to show that they really didn't mean it. It's not in their heart to do what's right. It's in their heart to keep the system going the way it is. So anyone making the decision, they were never for it, never for equality. And some of them weren't doing it before George Floyd. So what makes you think they're going to do it now? They're trying to get rid of something that was a pipeline to opening up the opportunities even for small and minority businesses. Smith, who lives in the Dallas area, holds the NFL's all-time record for career rushing yards, 18,355, and was a first ballot choice for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Yet for all of his glory as one of the greatest running backs ever, his perspective as a businessman provided another layer of credibility as he discussed the impact of DEI. He mentioned challenges encountered or observed in construction projects. There's a lot of talk, a lot of rhetoric, and I've seen how some of this stuff works, Smith said. I've seen where you have infrastructure projects around DFW area, and the same four major companies are the lead construction folks on those sites. The limitations that minority companies have is not only working capital, but also the capacity to get on those jobs. He wants young athletes to understand that too. As they process decisions on where to attend school, he thinks they could think twice about attending schools like Florida, for example. They don't have DEI programs and other initiatives that can have impact beyond athletics. What's his message to student-athletes? If you are going to go to a university, make sure you go to one that's open-minded, said Smith, who grew up in Pensacola, Florida, and started in Edscambia High School. Don't always think about yourself, and when you think about others, think about the decision the University of Florida just made when it comes down to DEI program. It could impact your family. It could impact your father and mother, your sister, and your homie that's starting a business who wants to do business in the state of Florida. Even here in Texas, if they started to dismantle programs, they give you an opportunity to work with a Procter & Gamble, a Walmart, or someone like that, that becomes a big issue. Because DEI helped a lot of people get to a place, they've been able to turn around and help other folks. By the same token, Smith doesn't hold back with a warning for his alma mater. He wonders whether a lack of diversity of thought in the room would prevent the potential for the school to help produce a multi-billionaire who wants to give back to the school. But you isolated them because you're not open. That's a problem for the university, and a problem for every student-athlete that comes through there, he added, because they really don't have their best interests at heart. They only want you to do one thing for them, and that is to generate excitement and enthusiasm all around sports and entertainment to help them raise capital so they can continue to build monuments around there of people that don't look like you or I. In a state where black residents constitute 17% of the population, according to the NAACP, fewer than 5% of the students at the University of Florida are black. This against the backdrop of Florida's flowing athletic revenue. A USA Today sports analysis ranked Florida's athletic department 8th in the nation during the 2021-2022 school year, with revenue that exceeded $190.4 million. So tell me, University of Florida, where have you grown, Smith said, outside of just taking advantage of the successes that Urban Meyer had on the football field, the successes that Steve Spurrier had on the football field, the successes that basketball team had with Joaquin Noah, all of those guys, when they won the national championship, built up all this stuff around this university, yet you refuse to address the biggest issue, how can we get minority enrollment up? How can we help our other African American and Latino students around the country get into this great university? To me, taking that DEI component away says you get to make all the decisions you want and not include people who can also have a significant impact on the university. So this doesn't sound like the man who was such a major reason why the Cowboys won three Super Bowls during a four-year span during the 1990s, at least not when it came to how he expressed himself publicly during his heyday. Smith wasn't the one to use his platform as one of the NFL's biggest stars to boost causes as a social activist. Smith knows he might have. A consummate pro with a squeaky clean image, Smith was one of the league's premier pitchmen as he collected four rushing titles, plus NFL MVP and Super Bowl MVP awards on his journey to Canton. Like many high-profile athletes from his era though, Smith steered away from sticky issues even as he embraced a certain social consciousness. Why now? Smith explained that his perspective has evolved over time. First of all, a lot of it I had to learn along the way. He said, I give the University of Florida credit for me having my eyes open and being aware of what's going on and not just sticking my head in the stand and concentrating strictly on football and not thinking about my fellow citizens. Whether it's black, white, Hispanic, it doesn't matter to me. Equality is straight across the board the way I see it. But what happens is that you grow and start to mature in the world and start to see that there are different components that go beyond just the game you're playing. It also impacts the lives of many people that are not playing the game. That's the kicker. Smith's traits as a football player were marked by the details and intentionality. That's still apparent as he had championed the merits of DEI. That is sensed, with his voice, as it was with the eye-opening statement that elicited much feedback. If you know me, you know I'm not going to just throw something out there that doesn't mean much to me, he said, things that are really impactful not only to my community, but also beyond my community. People think it's just about us, but DEI impacts women as much as it does African Americans, Latinos, and any other ethnicity. It impacts all of us. A point that Smith is undoubtedly willing to run with. This concludes a column written by Jared Bell of the USA Today, Emmitt Smith rips alma mater over DEI, NFL legend criticizes Florida for nixing roles in DEI. Our second article from the sports section of the USA Today, Bronnie leaves NBA Combine as potential second rounder by Jeff Zilget of the USA Today. Draftable, that's the operative word describing Bronnie James coming out of the NBA's draft combine which concluded Sunday in Chicago. It doesn't mean James will be selected in the June draft, but it means he's a legitimate prospect, a potential second round pick. Are there scouts and executives who don't believe he is a second round pick? Yes. Mark Spears of ESPN and Skate read harsh scouting reports of James on the network's NBA Today program. Are there scouts and executives who left Chicago believing James who played his freshman season in 2023 and 2024 at Southern California is draftable? Yes. My dream has always just been to put my name out and make a name for myself and of course, you know, get to the NBA. Many told reporters in Chicago as the idea of the father playing alongside the son has been tempered. I never thought about just playing with my dad, but of course he's, he's brought me up a couple of times, but yeah, I don't think about it. No scout and executive, that's a thousand or Darko Milicic wouldn't be selected ahead of Carmelo Anthony, Chris Brosch and Dwayne Wade or Nikola Jokic wouldn't have been drafted in the second round. The toughest question for those involved in the draft process, what would be Brani's prospect if he weren't LeBron's son? And ultimately it's too difficult to make that distinction. You can't separate Brani James and LeBron James. The younger James who has a sudden cardiac arrest last summer has navigated the uncontrollable with poise, focusing on his goal to play in the NBA and not getting too caught up in what others are saying. They fared well at the combine and ESPN planned to make James a late second round pick and it's post-combine mock draft. Five NBA front office executives who either make draft picks or have considerable input told USA Today Sports that they believe a team will draft James. They were granted anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about draft prospects. James started the week measuring 6 feet and one and a half inches, which is shorter than the 6'4 USC listed him, giving teams another fact to consider. However, he had the sixth best vertical leap, 40 and a half inches, just off the top mark of 42 inches. James wasn't among the facets in agility, shuttle, and sprint drills, but also wasn't near the bottom. He excelled in the on-the-move shooting drill, making 19 of 25 shots and finishing second overall and first amongst shooting guards, ahead of UConn's Stephon Castle and Providence's Devin Carter, who are projected first round picks. He was up and down in scrimmages, making two of eight shots for four points in first scrimmage and connecting on four for 10 shots for 13 points while showing a knack for engaging defensively in his second. James showed he has the physical tools and skill set to play among the 78 players invited to the combine. It's coming around again, USC guard, projected lottery pick Isaiah Collier told reporters. It's taking a little bit of time, but Bronny's going to be really good. Y'all gonna see, real soon. Bronny's basketball future is measured against the backdrop of what happened last summer During his senior season of high school and into the summer, James had improved so much the ESPN and other outlets listed James as a first round pick in mock drafts. But James sustained a life-threatening cardiac arrest in July while working out on the USC campus. He was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect and cleared to return for full basketball activities in late November. He averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists and shot 36.6% from the field and 26.7% on three-pointers in 25 games for the Trojans. He admitted the incident is still lingering and he thinks about everything that could happen. That's heavily life and death matters for a 19-year-old who also cleared to play by the NBA's fitness to play panel. James hasn't decided if he will keep his name in the draft or return to college for his sophomore season. His name is also in the NCAA transfer portal and he has until May 29th to decide if he wants to keep his name in the draft. James also plans to work out Wednesday at Clutch Sports Pro Day at the Los Angeles Lakers practice facility in El Segundo, California. Wherever I'm happy, I feel like that's the best opportunity and situation that I want to be myself in, James told reporters, just wherever my heart wants to be. I feel like that's where I should be. This concludes the reading of our second sports article from the USA Today, Bronnie Lee's NBA Combine as Potential Second Rounder by Jeff Zilget of the USA Today. Our next article comes to us from the Life section of the USA Today. Daniels feared for career filming Dumber and Dumber. As comedy turns 30 this year, he recalls co-star Jim Carrey's advice for toilet scene from the movies, For Daniels, Dumb Proved a Smart Move by Brian Alexander of the USA Today. Jeff Daniels is at the top of his game starring as an overly confident southern real estate mogul in Netflix's A Man in Full, but more than three decades ago, the young dramatic actor who had starred in 1983's Oscar-darling Terms of Endearment and 1985's The Purple Rose of Cairo took the chance of his career. Daniels agreed to star as the 8 IQ Harry alongside Jim Carrey's dim-witted Lloyd in 1994's unabashedly moronic comedy Dumber and Dumber, despite his agent's warning. I had agents who weren't wrong telling me, you're a serious actor, this is not the direction you need to be going, we're going to stop this and get you off this movie, Daniels recalls, but I wanted to shake it up with the comedy, and I wanted to work with Jim Carrey. Daniels, 69, reflected on Dumber and Dumber, which turns 30 this year, and why that infamous toilet scene was deadly serious business. Carrey motivated Daniels to plunge into Dumber and Dumber. Daniels understood that a big risk was disappearing in the comedy. Written and directed by Peter and Bobby Farrelly, behind the force of the outlandish Carrey, therefore, scenes featuring Harry's hijinks, the more humiliating the better, were important to stand out. There were moments in the script, including Harry getting his tongue stuck to a frozen pole and his enduring severe intestinal issues in the bathroom of his budding love interest, Mary Swanson, Lauren Holley. Those stupid showcases were key for the actor, who was cast even though the movie studio wanted a comedian for the role. It was like, I've got scenes, I knew I wasn't going to score, says Daniels. If the Farrelly brothers cut those, the movie was going to be Jim and the other guy. They didn't get cut, yet when it came to shooting the scene in which Harry suffers a prolonged intestinal purge on Mary's toilet after drinking laxative spiked tea, served by his jealous best friend Lloyd, Daniels clenched. He suddenly feared for his serious actor career. It's one thing to read the toilet scene, but then the day comes and we're actually going to do the toilet scene, says Daniels. I told Jim, this is either the beginning of my career or the end of it. Jim, who was fearless, told me, it's going to be great, you've just got to go all the way with it. The pep talk pushed Daniels over the line and the actor gave it his all in the bathroom. That was a couple of hours of porcelain gymnastics, says Daniels, and that close up when they pop in tight on my red face. I had been doing it so long I almost passed out. Clint Eastwood was a fan of the Dumber and Dumber toilet scene. If you're a movie fan who loves Dumber and Dumber, and there are many, you love the toilet scene. Like Clint Eastwood who introduced himself to Daniels at a celebrity golf tournament to congratulate him and commiserate. Clint says to me, I just saw Dumber and Dumber, and you know, the toilet scene. That happened to me, Daniels recalls, and then he tells a story about dating this woman that he really wanted to impress, but the shellfish hit him the wrong way from lunch. Daniels career fears were quickly well flushed away. I did my job beyond my job, says Daniels. In terms of comedic scenes, that toilet scene will probably outlive us, and it will be funny 40 years from now. In most other scenes, Daniels deferred to the comedy superstar, Carrie, allowing Dumber and Dumber pairing to succeed. Let Jim, as Lloyd, be the leader. You want him to do that. Don't try to compete with him, says Daniels. Let him go through the door first, and you follow like a puppy on a leash. Dumber and Dumber was a $127 million box office hit that developed an even bigger cult following, which led to the 2014 sequel, Dumber and Dumber 2. The continued success of the original is way beyond Daniels' wildest estimations. We thought 12-year-old boys would go see it, says Daniels. We weren't prepared for the demo to go from 8 to 80. People are still walking up to me like it's their Citizen Kane. This concludes the reading of the first article from the Life section. Daniels feared for a career filming Dumber and Dumber. As comedy turns 30 this year, he recalls co-star Jim Carrey's advice for a toilet scene. From the movie section, by Brian Alexander of the USA Today. Also from the Life section, Lifeline, style star Bella Hadid. Bella Hadid is back. The 27-year-old model made her return to the red carpet Monday at Cannes Film Festival For the premiere of Sebastian Stan's The Apprentice, Hadid wore a sheer olive green halter dress straight from the St. Laurent Women's Winter Runway show in March under Anthony Vaccarello. The premiere marked her first major appearance since 2022 after taking a break from modeling as she continued treatment for Lyme disease. It's your birthday, who's celebrating today? Emma Chamberlain is 23, Naomi Campbell is 54, and Jennifer Goodwin is 46. Horoscope Sanctuary Aries, March 21-April 19. Have life-changing information to teach others? Dish it out, share what you know. Taurus, April 20-May 20. Time for a value check. Are you getting absorbed by materials and money? Seek out depth beyond the physical. Gemini, May 21-June 21. Coming on too strong? Taming the ego may be necessary. Intensity can be overkill. Cancer, June 22-July 22. Ponder the deep questions today. The sun aligning with Pluto puts you in a meditative state. Leo, July 23-August 22. You're becoming aware of destructive relational dynamics and how they affect your aspirations. Ready to put yourself first? Virgo, August 23-September 22. To successfully achieve your professional goals, you'll have to allocate your energy accordingly. Libra, September 23-October 23. Explore what makes you happy. Are those conditions present in your life? If not, you're primed to make moves. Scorpio, October 24-November 21. Excited to let people in on your creative secrets? Trust needs to be earned. Keep your inspirations on lockdown. Sagittarius, November 22-December 21. A lack of progress in a relationship may weigh on your mind. A deep conversation can clear the air. Capricorn, December 22-January 19. A light shines on your core values today. The sun harmonizing with Pluto exposes the depths of what matters most. Aquarius, January 20-February 18. Caring and commanding presence? Your personal power is magnified. Show them you mean business. Pisces, February 19-March 20. An intuitive download can break an energetic stagnancy. You make the right choices. This has been the reading of your horoscope sanctuary. That concludes our reading of the USA Today. This has been Omar King for the Georgia Radio Reading Service. Thank you for listening to GARS.