Friday Jan 29, 2021 at 8:40 AM Jan 29, 2021 at 8:40 AM
Columns share an author’s personal perspective.
Every day in America thousands of people are locked-up because they don’t have money. Although those accused of a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty, the monetary bail system denies them their freedom. Those unfortunate few, without resources, sit in jail and are at risk of losing their jobs, their homes and their families.
Certainly, it’s unfair to incarcerate someone merely because they cannot afford bail. It is equally unfair to every man and woman in this nation to contribute to the nearly $1 trillion spent on pretrial detention, according to the Pretrial Justice Institute - which amounts to about 6% of the Gross Domestic Product.
Rev. Robert C. Smith, interim rector at The Church of St. Luke & the Epiphany, dies at 80 Valerie Russ, The Philadelphia Inquirer
Rev. Robert C. Smith, of Philadelphia, the interim rector at The Church of St. Luke & The Epiphany in Center City, died Wednesday, Jan. 27, at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital after suffering a brain aneurysm. He was 80.
In 2012, he retired as rector at the Memorial Church of the Good Shepherd in East Falls.
After retiring, Rev. Smith worked as an interim minister in the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania, traveling from one parish to the next to administer to the needs of parishioners after a priest had moved to another church or died.
President Joe Biden’s repeal of the Trump administration’s travel ban for several Muslim-majority nations brought a sigh of relief from those affected.
‘I m So Exhausted : Some Muslims Hopeful, Others Uncertain After Travel Ban Lifted Many of those whose lives were upended by the ban must now navigate questions about backlogs, paid fees and travel restrictions due to the pandemic By Mariam Fam and Sarah El Deeb •
Published January 29, 2021
AP Photo/Hani Mohammed
Mohammed Al Zabidi celebrated in 2017 when he learned he had been selected in the U.S. green card lottery, which picks people at random from a large pool of applicants. It was a chance to escape his war-torn homeland of Yemen and pursue his dreams in the United States.
“I won! I won!” Al Zabidi cheered. He borrowed money to finance his trip, bought clothes for his new life in America and packed souvenirs for friends there. With no U.S. Embassy in Yemen, he made a grueling journey to Djibouti for his visa interview.