Sybil Wilkes 'What You Need To Know' March 21st, 2023

Source: REACH Media / Reach Media

#WHATYOUNEEDTOKNOW

Tuesday, March 21, 2023

Sybil’s Birthday Shoutouts

Happy Birthday to:

The One and Only Comedian, Actor, Artist, and Entrepreneur J. Anthony Brown

Actress Sonequa Martin-Green

Actor RJ Cyler

Actress Sabrina Le Beauf

NFL Vet Adrian Peterson

We remember:

Loving Son, Grandson, Nephew, Friend and Daddy, Jordan Carpenter, born in 1985

The First African American to Graduate from the United States Military Academy at West Point Henry Ossian Flipper, born in 1856

Actor Al Freeman, Jr, born in 1931

Musician Solomon Burke, born in 1940

TOP 5 NEWS STORIES

1. Look Over There! Trump’s Lawyers Call Attention Away From NY and Toward Georgia

What You Need to Know:

While most, if not all eyes, were focused on the Manhattan (NY) district attorney’s investigation into Donald Trump’s “hush money” case, the former president’s lawyers filed a motion Monday morning to quash the report from the special grand jury about Donald Trump’s interference in the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. 

Not waiting for any further movement in the Georgia case, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Trump lawyers requested a hearing on their motion and for it to be heard by any other Superior Court judge than Fulton Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney, who presided over the special grand jury. 

Why You Need to Know: 

There’s nothing like taking the heat off of the former president’s call for supporters to rise up, by filing a motion in another case, potentially brought to court by a powerful Black district attorney. 

2. Mayor Karen Bass, 100 Days Later

WRITTEN AND CONTRIBUTED BY KHAMERON RILEY

What You Need to Know:

Last November, Karen Bass defeated Rick Caruso, a billionaire real-estate developer who Gwyneth Paltrow, Elon Musk, and Kim Kardashian endorsed. How? Karen Bass created a multi-ethnic movement of voters who believed in her despite the cancerous scandals that plague L.A.’s City Hall – racism, corruption, and even sexual harassment allegations. 

Karen Bass, L.A.’s new mayor, is approximately 100 days into her term. She holds strong approval numbers and has chosen to take on what many of her predecessors considered impossible: L.A.’s landslide of homelessness. It is an issue Eric Garcetti, the previous mayor, felt was severely out of reach of his office. Yet Bass seems more than willing to take on the challenge. 

Why You Need to Know:

Karen Bass remains a bridge builder. She hasn’t lost support from any of her Democratic base. She has the entire support of the L. A. City Council, and remains committed to this crusade to improve the overall health of Los Angeles. 

3. Higher Cancer Rates Found in Military Pilots, Ground Crews

What You Need to Know:

A Pentagon study has found high rates of cancer among military pilots and for the first time has shown that ground crews who fuel, maintain, and launch those aircraft are also getting sick.

The data had long been sought by retired military aviators who have raised alarms for years about the number of air and ground crew members they knew who had cancer. They were told that earlier military studies had found they were not at greater risk than the general U.S. population.

4. No Arrests in Beating Death of Another Black Man By Memphis Police

WRITTEN AND CONTRIBUTED BY COY MALONE

What You Need to Know:

Gershun Freeman, a 33-year-old Black man, died on October 2 at the Shelby County, Tennessee jail after being beaten and held face down on the ground by guards with a knee on his back for more than five minutes while handcuffed. Video of the incident was made public earlier this month, yet the family is still seeking answers and has called on the U.S. Department of Justice to open a civil rights investigation.

Why You Need to Know:

Murderous police are murderous police, there’s no difference. There is no “wait until the investigation is completed.” The police killed this man, and it was all caught on camera. Why haven’t they been arrested and charged? The answer: *Points to the palm of my hand.*

5. How Much Money Should I Keep in Savings vs. Checking?

WRITTEN AND CONTRIBUTED BY CATRINA M. CRAFT, CPA

What You Need to Know:

This is a valid question to ask if you’re interested in making the most of your money.

Savings accounts are meant to hold money that you don’t plan to spend right away. They are also designed to be a safe, secure place to hold money that you plan to spend at some future date.

A checking account is designed for the money you know you’ll spend in the near term. You access your money via a debit card and checks.

So, how much should I keep on each of those accounts? The answers will depend on the kind of savings and checking accounts you have. If you have an online savings account that offers a highly competitive APY and charges no monthly fee, then it could make sense to keep more of your money in that account. Keeping all of your emergency funds in a savings account is generally advisable as well since it may be easier to spend it on things other than emergencies if it’s sitting in a checking account.

A good rule of thumb you could apply when deciding how much to keep in savings is to aim for six to eight months’ worth of expenses. For example, if your monthly expenses are $5,000 a month, then you’d want to keep $30,000 to $40,000 in savings.

Keeping one to two months of expenses in the checking account at all times means you have a cash cushion in place. If your paycheck is delayed for some reason or you run a business that has irregular cash flow, you can use your checking account cushion to cover bills until more money comes in.

Figuring out how much to save means looking at where you are financially and factoring in any situations that might affect your budget and ability to pay bills.