The LuLac Edition #4, 968 May 18th, 2023

TAKEAWAYS FROM 2023 PRIMARY 

STATE JUDICIAL RACES

SUPREME COURT

The stage is set for a crucial contest for a seat on the State Supreme Court. Given the importance of a high court that in 2016 essentially saved democracy, it is imperative a Democrat be elected. Imagine if a Republican court was in charge during the various nuisance lawsuits being brought by Trumpers.

The race for an open seat on Pennsylvania’s highest court will pit Democrats’ chosen candidate, Philadelphia’s Daniel McCaffery, against Republican favorite Carolyn Carluccio of Montgomery County.

SUPERIOR COURT

Democrats Jill Beck of Allegheny County and Timika Lane of Philadelphia will go up against Republicans Maria Battista of Clarion County and Harry Smail of Westmoreland County for two seats on Superior Court, which handles civil cases not related to governments, as well as criminal cases.

 

COMMONWEALTH COURT

Philadelphia Democrat Matt Wolf will run against Cumberland County Republican Megan Martin in the Nov. 7 general election for a seat on Commonwealth Court, which handles cases involving local governments, Pennsylvania agencies, and the state itself.

Before all the court challenges by election deniers and pro life zealots, the court seats were not as prominent in their importance. Now, more than ever, they are.

COUNTY ELECTIONS

THE LAC

There is a change in the make up of the Democrats for the office of County Commissioner. Incumbent Jerry Notarianni was defeated after serving 8 years. Former Scranton City Council Chair Billy Gaughan and Penn State Quarterback Matt McGloin won handily.

Republican incumbent Chris Chermak along with his running mate Diana Campbell won on the GOP side. Former GOP Commissioner Laureen Cummings trailed badly.

In the fall, the Democrats will have the edge given registration and name recognition of both candidates.  Noarianni was left without a partner when Debbie Dominick bowed out. Look for Chermak to retain his seat as minority Commissioner.

THE LU

In the County Council races in Luzerne County, 7 Democrats were running. Jimmy Sabatino, Johanna Bryn Smith, Brittany Stephenson, Mary Ann  Velez, Michelle Rotherberger, and Patricia Krushnowski with vote totals that were nearly identical. Out man out was Damon Saxon.

The Republicans though had their hands full with 12 candidates running. Winners were Lee Ann McDemott, Kimberly Placek, Thomas Dombroski, Matthew Mitchel, Steve Urban Junior and Harry Haas. The GOP tried mightily to get rid of both Urban and Haas but to no avail.

The election will be quite spirited since Democrats want back in aver getting thumped in 2021. The GOP is on a resurgence in the county but the Democrats might be hungrier. 

 

MAYOR’S RACES

WILKES-BARRE

Mayor George Brown won handily in Wilkes-Barre and will have a more cooperative Council to work with.

HAZLETON

Mayor Jeff Cusat won the GOP nomination but will face Democratic opposition in the fall.

NEW FACE

Tony Thomas defeated two term incumbent Darren Snyder for City Controller. This was strictly a two person race. In previous run Snyder had a three person race and prevailed.

 

THE DURHAM REPORT

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

While the FBI handled somethings in a clumsy manner, the cries that there was a deep state conspiracy against Donald Trump have been debunked.

Special counsel John Durham found no evidence that the US justice department and the FBI conspired in a deep-state plot to investigate Donald Trump’s ties to Russia in 2016, though the report released on Monday found that the FBI’s handling of key aspects of the case were deficient.

The Durham report was sharply critical of how the FBI decided to open the counterintelligence investigation into Trump, known as “Crossfire Hurricane”, accusing top officials at the bureau of relying on raw and uncorroborated information to continue the inquiry.

Much of the criticism of the FBI in the roughly 300-page report was already known when the justice department inspector general issued its own report, which raised similar concerns but ultimately concluded that the FBI investigation into Trump was justified. (LuLac, The Guardian)

 

BIG CITY CRIME GOES DOWN

ANOTHER GOP ISSUE GOES DOWN THE TUBES

There has been a recent announcement regarding crime in big cities run by Democrats. The Republican attack machine ha said that crime was out of control, murders were up and it was all because Democratic Mayors were in charge. To hear them talk, you’d think Dem Mayors were in a back alley plotting a crime with them.

I don’t think anyone murdering someone is going to say as they shoot the gun or knife someone in the heart “I hate you but I hate even more that damn Democratic Mayor!”

Nationwide, shootings are down 4 percent this year compared to the same time last year. In big cities, murders are down 3 percent. If the decrease in murders continues for the rest of 2022, it will be the first year since 2018 in which they fell in the U.S.

This is one more issue the GOP has lied about and tried to place the blame on Democratic Mayors, their Police Departments as well as the current administration.

LAWSUIT ALLEGES GIULIANI OFFERED TO SELL PARDONS AND SPLIT MONEY WITH TRUMP

(Photo: CNBC)

In the “you can’t make this shit about department, A new lawsuit from a woman who says she woRudy rked for Rudy Giuliani during Donald Trump’s presidency contains a series of shocking claims, chief among them sexual assault and harassment by Trump’s then-personal lawyer, which Giuliani has denied. But Noelle Dunphy’s civil complaint, filed Monday in New York state court, also contains an entirely different type of shocking claim: that Giuliani was offering to sell pardons for $2 million, which, according to Dunphy’s suit, he said he would split with Trump.

Giuliani has broadly denied Dunphy’s allegations. But if true, the pardon claim would support the existence of a bribery conspiracy implicating Trump, the 2024 Republican presidential front-runner, who is currently indicted in New York state and faces other criminal probes in Georgia and by the Justice Department.

Once again the people who said there is a Biden crime family and Democrats were corrupt were more evil and depraved than anything a mafia head could eve dream up.

 Bottom line. IF TRUMP AND HIS THEN-PERSONAL LAWYER TRIED TO DELIVER CLEMENCY FOR PROFIT, IT WOULD LIKELY CROSS THE LINE INTO BRIBERY TERRITORY. (The Gurdian, LuLac)

 

 

PASHINSKI WELCOMES MULTIPLE GRANTS TOTALING $2.27 MILLION FOR 12 LOCAL PROJECTS

State Representative Eddie Day Pashinski (Photo: LuLac archives)

State Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, in conjunction with Sen. Marty Flynn and Sen. David Argall, announced today 12 area projects in his district were awarded state funding totaling $2.27 million.

“The state funding awarded to these municipal projects are for equipment, renovations and safety measures needed by those communities. The Commonwealth Financing Authority, which oversees distribution of state economic stimulant packages, awarded this funding through the Local Share Account produced by the horse racing and gaming industry,” said Pashinski, D-Luzerne. “The nature of these projects is to provide extra safety to the community and give peace of mind to as many people as possible.”

The grants include:

$165,936 to Bear Creek Township – Department of Public Works Vehicles and Equipment – for the purchase of two new crew cab vehicles. The first vehicle is a 2500 Chevrolet Silverado Crew Cab with a utility body and an 8-foot super duty plow. The second proposed vehicle is a 3500 Chevrolet Silverado Crew Cab with a dump body and an 8-foot super duty plow. These vehicles will help its Public Works Department provide better service to the residents.

$100,000 to Bear Creek Township – Forest Park Paving Project - The project includes reconstruction/repaving of all existing roadways in the development, as well as improvements in stormwater management. The proposed project will upgrade Parkway Road, Woodland Road, Forest Road, Crescent Road and Sylvan Road.

$225,000 to Bear Creek Village Borough – Bear Creek Sand Spring Run Bridge/Culvert Replacement - The bridge and culvert along Sand Spring Run on Beaupland Road has had many repairs and is need of replacement. The proposed project will remove the existing bridge, culvert, and impacted roadway and replace it with a 6-feet-by-8-feet concrete box culvert and new roadway above. Additional changes will include roadway improvements 100 feet north and south of the new bridge/culvert. When completed, the project will allow the continued use of one of the few main roads within the borough, which provides access to a large section of the community.

$94,157 to Laurel Run Borough – Public Safety Equipment - The proposed project will purchase a 2022 Ford F550 4x4 Dump Truck, a Salt Dogg Tailgate Spreader, and a Proplus Straight Snowplow blade. The truck would be utilized for roadway plowing, roadway maintenance projects, hauling stones, and assisting in maintain the roadways during winter storms for the 524 residents within Laurel Run Borough.

$265,385 to Plains Township – East Mountain Boulevard Roadway Improvements and Paving Project - The project will consist of mill and overlay of East Mountain Boulevard, pavement base repair where needed, and replacement of pavement striping.

$162,275 to Plains Township – Plains Township COSTAR New Department of Public Works Garbage Packer Project - A 2024 Freightliner 114SD Packer chassis truck will be purchased. A 25-cubic-yard Cobra Magnum Series rear load packer will also be purchased and attached to the back of the truck to compress the garbage that is collected.

$215,000 to Wilkes-Barre Township – Wilkes-Barre Township HVAC Replacement and Upgrade - The proposed project will replace the inefficient outdated HVAC system with nine new and more efficient PTAC units. The new and efficient roof top unit would be installed to handle the council chambers, while variable air volume systems would be added to each office. The municipal garage portion of the Municipal Building which includes the hallway and restroom, would also receive new and efficient heating units.

$157,075 to Wilkes-Barre City – Bucket Truck Project - The proposed project will purchase a versalift bucket truck with attachments and accessories to meet safety standards as the current truck is antiquated and requires costly repairs. The bucket truck is an essential piece of equipment needed for the department to complete several tasks in the community.

$78,561 to Wilkes-Barre City – Department of Public Works Skid Steer - The project will provide safety improvements for the Department of Public Works employees and the residents of the city. Employees will benefit through less strenuous activity that would need to be completed when attending to removal of snow, debris/materials, etc. The public will benefit from improved safety conditions of public roads through continuous maintenance and the completion road restoration projects and creek clearing projects. The new skid steer will aid the department with material removal, recyclables, snow removal and road restoration projects.

$264,000 to Wilkes-Barre City – Luzerne County Flood Protection Authority Flood Protection Equipment Project - Luzerne County Flood Protection Authority is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the Wyoming Valley Flood Risk Management Project. The LCFPA has an aging (20+years) fleet of eight mowers, but only six are in operable condition. LCFPA plans to replace one of the mowers with a RC Mower TK-60XP. This will be used on the 40-degree slope embankments to safely maintain vegetation without risking the safety of staff members. They also plan to purchase two hillside mowers, two John Deere diesel zero-turn mowers, a New Sullair trailer mounted air compressor, which will provide power to various field tools needed to install closure structures and lean post pockets along openings in the levee during emergency situations, as well as a much-needed electric vehicle to replace the operations supervisor’s inspection vehicle. The proposed equipment will allow LCFPA to remain in compliance with the USACE on the flood protection levee.

$250,000 to Wilkes-Barre City – Volunteers of America Pennsylvania Housing Phase II - VOAPA’s Brian's Place project will renovate its property to accommodate six one-bedroom and efficiency-style apartments to be reserved for low-income households with mental health diagnoses.

$250,000 to Wilkes-Barre City – Wilkes-Barre Family YMCA Multi-Purpose Room Transformation Project - Wilkes-Barre City proposes the renovation of underutilized space in the locker rooms of the YMCA into two multi-purpose rooms to be used by the community and the childcare center. This project will provide additional space for YMCA programs and activities to serve the increasing membership and program participation.

The Commonwealth Financing Authority, which oversees the distribution of the state’s economic stimulus packages to support public projects, awarded the funding through its Local Share Account. More information about CFA programs and funding is available at https://dced.pa.gov/programs-funding/commonwealth-financing-authority-cfa/.

 

U.S. REP. CARTWRIGHT ANNOUNCES $1 MILLION NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION GRANT FOR HEMP INNOVATION AND CULTIVATION

AWARD WILL FUND THE DEVELOPMENT OF A PENNSYLVANIA-BASED INDUSTRIAL HEMP ENGINE TO MANUFACTURE BIO-BASED PRODUCTS

Congressman Matt Cartwright (Photo: LuLac archives)

U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright (PA-08), Ranking Member of the Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Subcommittee, announced that the National Science Foundation has awarded a $1 million Regional Innovation Engines Development award to Hazleton-based Vytal Plant Science Research for the development of an Industrial Hemp Engine as part of its newly launched Regional Innovation Engines (NSF Engines) program.

Vytal Plant Science Research (VPSR) is a non-profit biotechnology corporation that is partnering with Penn State University, Ben Franklin Technology Partners, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Luzerne County Community College, Lackawanna College, Emory University, DON Processing, the Team PA Foundation, and several farms and private industries throughout the state that are already cultivating, brokering, and manufacturing hemp-based products.

The award will fund the further development of a Pennsylvania Industrial Hemp Engine that will support the manufacture and deployment of innovative, bio-based products for application in green building construction, packaging, fabrics, renewable energy and land remediation.

“It is essential that Northeastern Pennsylvania commercial concerns get every penny of our fair share of economic development dollars being invested, at work right here in our area,” Rep. Cartwright said. “This grant, made possible by the CHIPS and Science Act, will boost an industry that was once a staple of Pennsylvania’s economy and is again presenting opportunities for new businesses, farm income, good-paying jobs, and climate friendly, environmentally sound products.”

Development of this NSF Hemp Engine will require genetic research, domestic propagation of industrial hemp seed, cultivation, harvest, and processing to build up a supply chain to meet the already existing and growing global demand for bioengineered renewable and recyclable products needed to reduce greenhouse gases, eliminate plastic waste, and improve soil health and water quality. This will require investment in research labs, greenhouses, commercial farms, industrial decortication facilities, bio-based product manufacturers, and workforce education programs.

This engine will build upon and integrate the good work already underway by organizations that have been leading the development of this industry and translational research for the past several years, including the work of the Pennsylvania Hemp Steering Committee members, the Department of Agriculture, agricultural extension educators, as well as the genetic research being undertaken by Penn State Harrisburg in partnership with Vytal Plant Science Research.

"We are very grateful for this NSF Engine Development Award and look forward to building this industry together with many partners,” said Tom Trite, CEO of Vytal Plant Science Research. "Vytal Plant Science Research is honored to have been selected to lead this initiative and we look forward to getting started.”

“We are pleased to participate in this public-private partnership and to have a prominent faculty researcher at our campus in a leading role on a project that will have positive economic and environmental impact. The project will contribute to many applications of hemp research and provide important opportunities for students and faculty across Penn State University to engage in research with societal impact,” said Vahid Motevalli, Interim Associate Vice Chancellor for Research at Penn State Harrisburg.

“Ben Franklin Technology Partners welcomes the opportunity to invest in new and novel intellectual property that creates jobs through commercialization of industrial hemp in the Commonwealth around plant genetics, growing technologies, harvesting, processing and implementation of raw materials into various industrial sectors,” said Ken Okrepkie, Regional Manager at Ben Franklin Technology Partners of NEPA.

The U.S. National Science Foundation’s Regional Innovation Engines, or NSF Engines, program catalyzes and fosters innovation ecosystems across the United States to: 

Advance critical technologies like semiconductors, artificial intelligence, advanced wireless, and biotechnology;

Address pressing national and societal challenges;

Cultivate partnerships across industry, academia, government, nonprofits, civil society, and communities of practice;

Promote and stimulate economic growth and job creation; and

Spur regional innovation and talent.

Each NSF Engine can receive up to $160 million to support the development of diverse regional coalitions of researchers, institutions, companies and civil society to conduct research and development that engages people in the process of creating solutions with economic and societal impacts. Through the process, NSF Engines will train and develop the local workforce and grow regional innovation ecosystems throughout the U.S.

The NSF Engines program provides up to 10 years of funding to establish each NSF Engine, with the option to get two years of funding for planning before the official launch of an NSF Engine.

"These NSF Engines Development Awards lay the foundation for emerging hubs of innovation and potential future NSF Engines," said NSF Director Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan. "These awardees are part of the fabric of NSF's vision to create opportunities everywhere and enable innovation anywhere. They will build robust regional partnerships rooted in scientific and technological innovation in every part of our nation. Through these planning awards, NSF is seeding the future for in-place innovation in communities and to grow their regional economies through research and partnerships. This will unleash ideas, talent, pathways and resources to create vibrant innovation ecosystems all across our nation.”

For more information on Vytal Plant Science Research and the Industrial Hemp Engine, visit www.paihe.org.

 

CASEY-LED PROVISION TO PROVIDE TAX CREDITS FOR AMERICAN-MADE MANUFACTURING GUIDANCE RELEASED

CASEY FOUGHT TO SECURE CLEAN ENERGY TAX CREDITS IN INFLATION REDUCTION ACT AND URGED TREASURY DEPARTMENT TO SWIFTLY IMPLEMENT GUIDANCE FOR TAX CREDITS

TAX CREDITS INCENTIVIZE COMPANIES TO USE AMERICAN STEEL, IRON, AND MANUFACTURED GOODS WHEN BUILDING NEW ENERGY PROJECTS

Senator Bob Casey (Photo: LuLac archives)

U.S. Senator Bob Casey  applauded the U.S. Department of Treasury guidance of tax credits for companies to build American-made clean energy facilities. The guidance comes from a Casey-led provision of the Inflation Reduction Act that gives companies a “domestic content” bonus credit for using American steel, iron, and manufactured goods in new clean energy projects. Casey fought to make sure the rules reward firms that use American goods throughout their process and not just during the final stages of manufacturing or assembly. By incentivizing companies to use American-made goods, these credits give American workers a leg up on Chinese and other foreign competitors who do not play by the rules.

“When we passed the Inflation Reduction Act, I fought to make sure we finally help American workers get ahead,” said Senator Casey. “With the release of this guidance, companies will see that it pays to use American steel, iron, and other goods in their manufacturing processes. When we prioritize American workers and American products, we not only bolster our economy and supply chains, we outcompete countries like China.”

Senator Casey has long fought to protect American workers in Washington. The Inflation Reduction Act also includes his provision to incentivize companies to build, expand, or retrofit clean manufacturing facilities, recycling, industrial decarbonization, and more in “energy communities,” areas whose economies and jobs are or were dependent on the coal, oil or natural gas energy sectors. These credits will bring good-paying energy jobs to communities that have powered the U.S. for generations. According to one study, this provision is projected to create 92,000 new jobs over the next ten years, including 36,800 in former coal communities.

Casey has also worked to protect good-paying, union jobs in energy and steel communities like those in Western Pennsylvania. Throughout the Trump and Biden Administrations, Casey has led a bipartisan push to protect Cleveland-Cliffs, America’s last electrical steel manufacturer, from trade cheating on the part of foreign competitors. He continues to push the Biden Administration to prevent countries like China and Russia from circumventing American trade laws and to ensure we are not reliant on foreign adversaries to supply our electrical grid.

As the lead sponsor of the National Critical Capabilities Defense Act, Senator Casey has been pushing for action so the U.S. can better understand the risks of allowing foreign competitors to gain access to critical capabilities and technology, as well as to design and manufacture goods that are vital to U.S economic and national security interests. Casey’s legislation, first introduced in 2021, has bipartisan and bicameral support. Biden Administration officials, including Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai and National Security Council Advisor Jake Sullivan have also expressed support for increased scrutiny of outbound investments. 

 

 

PA SENATE UNANIMOUSLY CONFIRMS RUSSELL REDDING AS SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE

SECRETARY REDDING, A 25-YEAR DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE VETERAN WHO PREVIOUSLY SERVED AS AGRICULTURE SECRETARY UNDER GOVERNORS TOM WOLF AND ED RENDELL, WAS UNANIMOUSLY CONFIRMED

Russell Redding (Photo: Pennsylvania Capital Star)

 

The Pennsylvania Senate unanimously confirmed Russell Redding to serve as Pennsylvania’s 27th Secretary of Agriculture. A Pennsylvania native and career public servant in the agriculture sector, Secretary Redding led the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture as Secretary from 2009 – 2011 under Governor Ed Rendell and from 2015 – 2022 under Governor Tom Wolf, as part of his nearly 25 years of service to the Commonwealth.

Under Secretary Redding’s leadership in the Shapiro Administration, the Department of Agriculture has led a coordinated response to the Hi-Path Avian Influenza outbreak, invested more than $15 million in partnership with local governments to protect farms from residential and commercial development, secured an $8.8 million boost in federal food assistance funding to administer nutrition programs for low-income seniors, and launched a $1.6 million grant program to expand access to emergency food supplies for Pennsylvania families.

At Secretary Redding’s direction, the Department of Agriculture has supported Pennsylvania farmers impacted by the Norfolk Southern train derailment by conducting plant tissue testing in partnership with PennState Extension, and monitoring soil, water, and air testing results in coordination with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the federal Environmental Protection Agency.

Pennsylvania’s agriculture industry is a major economic driver for the Commonwealth, contributing $132 billion a year to our state economy and supporting 1 in 10 jobs in Pennsylvania. Governor Shapiro and Secretary Redding are committed to empowering farmers and the entire agricultural industry, ensuring they have access to the resources and support they need to be successful.

 

 

MEDIA MATTERS 

HEY, WE'RE JUST ACROSS TOWN! 

IN WALKING DISTANCE! 

I was amazed to tune into WBRE TV Election night and found that  even though the station was a few blocks from Wilkes Barre city Hall, NO ONE covered Mayor George Brown’s election. WBRE/WYOU viewers were treated to results from near and far but not from the city.

WALN TV 

 

BOLD GOLD COMMUNITY FORUM

You'll hear the program Sunday at 6 on 94.3 The Talker; 6:30 on 1400 am The Mothership and 7:30 am on 105 The River.

 

BOBBY V’S DOO WOP SUNDAY NIGHT SOCK HOP 

 

1954

Our 1954 logo

 

Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (347 US 483 1954): The U.S. Supreme Court rules unanimously that segregated schools are unconstitutional.  was a landmark decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled that U.S. state laws establishing racial segregation in public schools are unconstitutional, even if the segregated schools are otherwise equal in quality. The decision partially overruled the Court's 1896 decision Plessy v. Ferguson, which had held that racial segregation laws did not violate the U.S. Constitution as long as the facilities for each race were equal in quality, a doctrine that had come to be known as "separate but equal". The Court's decision in Brown paved the way for integration and was a major victory of the civil rights movement,  and a model for many future impact litigation cases.

The underlying case began in 1951 when the public school system in Topeka, Kansas, refused to enroll local black resident Oliver Brown's daughter at the elementary school closest to their home, instead requiring her to ride a bus to a segregated black school farther away. The Browns and twelve other local black families in similar situations filed a class-action lawsuit in U.S. federal court against the Topeka Board of Education, alleging that its segregation policy was unconstitutional. A special three-judge court of the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas rendered a verdict against the Browns, relying on the precedent of Plessy and its "separate but equal" doctrine. The Browns, represented by NAACP chief counsel Thurgood Marshall, then appealed the ruling directly to the Supreme Court.

In May 1954, the Supreme Court issued a unanimous 9–0 decision in favor of the Browns. The Court ruled that "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal", and therefore laws that impose them violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. However, the decision's 14 pages did not spell out any sort of method for ending racial segregation in schools, and the Court's second decision in Brown II (349 U.S. 294 (1955)) only ordered states to desegregate "with all deliberate speed".

In the Southern United States, especially the "Deep South", where racial segregation was deeply entrenched, the reaction to Brown among most white people was "noisy and stubborn". Many Southern governmental and political leaders embraced a plan known as "Massive Resistance", created by Virginia Senator Harry F. Byrd, in order to frustrate attempts to force them to de-segregate their school systems. Four years later, in the case of Cooper v. Aaron, the Court reaffirmed its ruling in Brown, and explicitly stated that state officials and legislators had no power to nullify its ruling.

The case of Brown v. Board of Education as heard before the Supreme Court combined five cases: Brown itself, Briggs v. Elliott (filed in South Carolina), Davis v. County School Board of Prince Edward County (filed in Virginia), Gebhart v. Belton (filed in Delaware), and Bolling v. Sharpe (filed in Washington, D.C.).

All were NAACP-sponsored cases. The Davis case, the only case of the five originating from a student protest, began when 16-year-old Barbara Rose Johns organized and led a 450-student walkout of Moton High School.[24] The Gebhart case was the only one where a trial court, affirmed by the Delaware Supreme Court, found that discrimination was unlawful; in all the other cases the plaintiffs had lost as the original courts had found discrimination to be lawful.

The Kansas case was unique among the group in that there was no contention of gross inferiority of the segregated schools' physical plant, curriculum, or staff. The district court found substantial equality as to all such factors. The lower court, in its opinion, noted that, in Topeka, "the physical facilities, the curricula, courses of study, qualification and quality of teachers, as well as other educational facilities in the two sets of schools [were] comparable." The lower court observed that "colored children in many instances are required to travel much greater distances than they would be required to travel could they attend a white school" but also noted that the school district "transports colored children to and from school free of charge" and that "no such service [was] provided to white children." In the Delaware case the district court judge in Gebhart ordered that the black students be admitted to the white high school due to the substantial harm of segregation and the differences that made the separate schools unequal.

Under the leadership of Walter Reuther, the United Auto Workers donated $75,000 to help pay for the NAACP's efforts at the Supreme Court.[26] The NAACP's chief counsel, Thurgood Marshall—who was later appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1967—argued the case before the Supreme Court for the plaintiffs. Assistant attorney general Paul Wilson—later distinguished emeritus professor of law at the University of Kansas—conducted the state's ambivalent defense in his first appellate argument.

In December 1952, the Justice Department filed a friend of the court brief in the case. The brief was unusual in its heavy emphasis on foreign-policy considerations of the Truman administration in a case ostensibly about domestic issues. Of the seven pages covering "the interest of the United States", five focused on the way school segregation hurt the United States in the Cold War competition for the friendship and allegiance of non-white peoples in countries then gaining independence from colonial rule. Attorney General James P. McGranery noted that "the existence of discrimination against minority groups in the United States has an adverse effect upon our relations with other countries. Racial discrimination furnishes grist for the Communist propaganda mills."[27] The brief also quoted a letter by Secretary of State Dean Acheson lamenting that "the United States is under constant attack in the foreign press, over the foreign radio, and in such international bodies as the United Nations because of various practices of discrimination in this country."

British barrister and parliamentarian Anthony Lester has written that "Although the Court's opinion in Brown made no reference to these considerations of foreign policy, there is no doubt that they significantly influenced the decision.

In other news in the Chinese Civil War, First Taiwan Strait Crisis: The People's Liberation Army Navy auxiliary gunboat Rujin is sunk by Nationalist Republic P-47 Thunderbolt aircraft, resulting in 56 deaths…Pakistan and the United States sign a Mutual Defense Assistance Agreement….and 69 years ago this week the number one song in LuLac land and America was Vaughan Monroe’s “They Were Doing the Mambo”