Tennessee

Families from Tennessee to California seek humanitarian parole for adopted children in Haiti

Published

4 months ago

September 23, 2024

Families from Tennessee to California seek humanitarian parole for adopted children in Haiti

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — At only 6 years old, Esai Reed has endured three emergency evacuations from orphanages across Haiti as gangs pillage and plunder their way through once peaceful communities.

He is now in northern Haiti under the care of a U.S. organization after the director of Esai’s last orphanage fled the troubled Caribbean country where gangs control 80% of the capital.

Nearly five months have passed since the last evacuation, and in that time, Esai, who loves soccer and is mischievous, hasn’t been able to talk to his adoptive mother in the U.S. or his two older brothers who live with her as internet connections and other logistics falter.

“Clearly, this is an emergency,” said Michelle Reed, a 51-year-old teacher and single mother who lives in Florida.

Reed’s is one of 55 families from Tennessee to California asking the U.S. government for humanitarian parole for some 70 children they’re adopting. It was an opportunity the U.S. granted to more than a dozen other children earlier this year when gangs attacked key government infrastructure and forced Haiti’s main international airport to close for nearly three months, prompting evacuations of dozens of U.S. citizens and 39 children from March to May who had final adoption decrees.

Reed and other families said they were initially told they would be part of the evacuation group, but the U.S. government later said that “despite intensive efforts,” it had not found a solution to allow children without adoption decrees to leave Haiti and enter the U.S., according to a letter from The Office of Children’s Issues at the Department of State.

“We understand that this update will be disappointing for both you and your child(ren),” the office wrote.

Reed and other families warned that completing the adoption process in Haiti instead of in the U.S. as requested forces the children to travel to Port-au-Prince, which is largely under siege by gangs, to obtain a visa, passport and medical exam.

“Why aren’t they doing that for our kids?” asked Emmerson, who lives in the U.S. and requested that his last name be withheld for safety since he and his wife, who are adopting his niece and nephew, have family in Haiti.

Reed noted that the Haitian Central Adoption Authority has given the families permission for the children to leave the country and complete the adoption in the U.S.

But a State Department spokesperson told The Associated Press that other Haitian authorities overseeing the adoption process do not agree. It added that it’s working with the Haitian government “to move adoptions forward as quickly as possible” while ensuring that laws, regulations and obligations are met.

“The Department is working to expedite final processing steps for additional children,” it said, adding that all Haitian government offices that process adoptions are open, “although some offices could be intermittently closed or operating at limited capacity due to localized violence.”

The department said it “understands and empathizes with the concerns and frustration of U.S. families adopting from Haiti.”

Stéphane Vincent, director of Haiti’s Directorate of Immigration and Emigration, did not return messages for comment.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security told the AP that consideration for parole applies “to a very limited number of Haitians adoptees” who have reached a specific stage in their process. It said that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services “is working tirelessly” with U.S. government partners “to navigate the current circumstances.”

Aside from the dangers of being in Port-au-Prince, families note their cases could be further delayed because Haitian judges have been on strike while others have left the country because of the violence.

The U.N. noted in a recent report that ever since Haiti’s judicial year started in October 2023, “courts have been operational for barely ten days.”

Backing the families in their push to obtain humanitarian parole are lawmakers including U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown, Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, who have written the U.S. Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security on their behalf.

Haiti has been under a state of emergency for several months, and the Department of State has long upheld a “do not travel” advisory, warning of kidnappings, killings, sexual assault and other crimes, adding that “the U.S. government is very limited in its ability to help U.S. citizens in Haiti.”

From April to June, at least 1,379 people were reported killed or injured, and another 428 kidnapped, according to the U.N., which noted that 88% of those crimes were in Port-au-Prince.

Meanwhile, gang violence has left at least 700,000 people homeless in recent years, half of them children, William O’Neill, the U.N. independent human rights expert on Haiti, said Friday.

“All indicators remain extremely worrying,” he said during his visit to Haiti. “The first and most concerning of them, insecurity.”

Meanwhile, Kenyan police who arrived in late June as part of a U.N.-backed mission to help quell gang violence only recently launched joint operations with Haiti’s police and military as the U.S. ponders a U.N. peacekeeping operation after warning that the current mission lacks resources.

“The children are at great risk,” said Diane Kunz, executive director for the New York-based nonprofit Center for Adoption Policy. “You have the State Department saying they can’t guarantee the protection of their own people.”

In Florida, Reed worries about Esai as she tries to comfort his brothers, ages 8 and 10, who were physically and sexually abused at the orphanage and were sick and malnourished when she adopted them nearly two years ago.

“The boys are afraid for him, and they don’t want to talk about it,” she said, adding that no one told her they had a brother when she adopted them.

Reed recalled how, after arriving in the U.S., her two older sons slept in a single twin bed despite having two available and held each other through the night.

“Nighttime was scary for them,” Reed said. “They had nightmares for a long time.”

Fighting alongside Reed is Emmerson and his wife, Michelle, who also asked that her name be withheld for safety.

Emmerson’s mother was in Haiti looking after his niece and nephew when she had a heart attack after gangs raided their neighborhood, located near where a young U.S. missionary couple was killed earlier this year.

“They were shooting, and she passed away,” he said. “The kids were traumatized.”

After speaking with his brother, who has health issues and struggles to care for his five other children, they agreed adoption was best. But Emmerson and Michelle have not been able to visit Haiti in nearly a year given the ongoing violence.

Gangs forced the children to relocate to southwest Haiti, where their family is running low on food and other basic supplies. Gunmen control the main roads leading in and out of Port-au-Prince, on occasion firing on those passing through.

The boy is 6 years old and extroverted, and his sister is “like a little old lady in a 3-year-old’s body,” Michelle said. They worry what will happen to them if they’re forced to travel to Port-au-Prince to finalize the adoption, with Emmerson recalling how his brother’s twins were kidnapped in the capital and later released, with the boy’s face slashed by gangs.

“We just don’t want that for our kids,” he said.

Angela, who lives in California and asked that her last name be withheld for safety, said she and her husband are trying to adopt a 5-year-old girl who — like Reed’s youngest son — has been evacuated from orphanages three times.

Angela recalled how she was on the phone with an orphanage worker and her daughter when gunfire erupted.

“Quite honestly, I didn’t know if she was going to be killed right then and there,” she said. “Gunfire was penetrating the walls.”

She said it’s terrifying to think that her daughter, who is shy and loves to read books, will have to travel to Port-au-Prince to complete the required paperwork after violence forced her to flee the city.

“It’s just not right for these children to be thrown into the war zone to meet requirements that could easily be waived,” Reed said. “We are not looking to bypass any part of the adoption process. We want our children evacuated to safety so we have children to adopt. We don’t want them to die in Haiti.”

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Where outgoing Tennessee football transfers have landed so far

Published

4 hours ago

January 9, 2025

Press Room

Where outgoing Tennessee football transfers have landed so far

With the window to enter the transfer portal closed, a good amount of players across the country have found their new homes.

Of the nearly 20 players in the portal out of Tennessee, 11 have announced their next destination. This includes eight Power Four destinations and two players staying within the SEC.

Here’s the full list.

TALK ABOUT IT IN THE ROCKY TOP FORUM

– New School: Florida State

– Date Entered: 12/27/24

– Date Committed: 1/5/24

– New School: Purdue

– Date Entered: 12/12/24

– Date Committed: 1/6/25

– New School: USF

– Date Entered: 12/9/24

– Date Committed: 1/4/25

– New School: Louisville

– Date Entered: 12/30/24

– Date Committed: 1/6/25

– New School: Virginia Tech

– Date Entered: 12/14/24

– Date Committed: 12/29/24

– New School: Mississippi State

– Date Entered: 12/6/24

– Date Committed: 12/19/24

– New School: Florida State

– Date Entered: 12/23/24

– Date Committed: 1/5/25

– New School: Vanderbilt

– Date Entered: 12/6/24

– Date Committed: 12/18/24

– New School: Maryland

– Date Entered: 12/5/24

– Date Committed: 12/13/24

– New School: Appalachian State

– Date Entered: 12/4/24

– Date Committed: 12/28/24

Titus Rohrer (TE)

– New School: Montana

– Date Entered: N/a

– Date Committed: 1/7/25

Still looking for their new home

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Chicago Bears interview former Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel for head coaching job

Published

12 hours ago

January 9, 2025

Press Room

Chicago Bears interview former Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel for head coaching job

CHICAGO — The Chicago Bears interviewed former Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel for their head coaching job on Wednesday.

The 49-year-old Vrabel led Tennessee to a 54-45 record and three playoff appearances from 2018 to 2023. The 2019 team advanced to the AFC championship game, losing to Patrick Mahomes and the eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. Tennessee combined to go 23-10 the next two seasons while capturing back-to-back AFC South championships, only to finish 7-10 in 2022 and 6-11 in 2023.

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Vrabel was a hard-nosed linebacker who played on three Super Bowl championship teams during a 14-year career with Pittsburgh, New England and Kansas City from 1997 to 2010. He was All-Pro with the Patriots in 2007.

The Bears are counting on the next coach to help Caleb Williams develop into a franchise quarterback and lift a team that finished last in the NFC North at 5-12. Chicago fired a head coach during a season for the first time when Matt Eberflus was let go on Nov. 29 with the team in the middle of a 10-game losing streak.

Detroit offensive coordinator Ben Johnson figures to be at the top of the Bears’ wish list. Former Seattle coach Pete Carroll, Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, Buffalo offensive coordinator Joe Brady and even Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy figure to get looks.

The Bears have requested permission to interview Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores. Interim Bears coach Thomas Brown also is in the mix, and general manager Ryan Poles said he is open to the idea of trading draft picks for the right candidate.

Chicago has just three playoff appearances since the 2006 team won the NFC. The Bears’ lone Super Bowl title came during the 1985 season. The team is 15-36 in three seasons under Poles.

The Bears thought they were poised to challenge for a postseason spot after a busy offseason, highlighted by drafting Williams with the No. 1 pick. They also acquired six-time Pro Bowl receiver Keenan Allen from the Los Angeles Chargers. But instead of making a playoff push, they went into a freefall after a 4-2 start.

Besides firing Eberflus, the Bears have let two offensive coordinators go in the past year. Shane Waldron lasted just nine games after replacing Luke Getsy in the offseason.

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College basketball rankings: Tennessee upset loss results in drastic changes to CBS Sports top 25 and 1

Published

20 hours ago

January 8, 2025

Press Room

College basketball rankings: Tennessee upset loss results in drastic changes to CBS Sports top 25 and 1

There are no more teams in the AP Top 25 who are undefeated after No. 1 Tennessee‘s shocking 73-43 loss to No. 8 Florida on the road on Tuesday night.

The SEC has provided no shortage of action across the first two games of conference play, either. No. 6 Kentucky, who defeated Florida in the conference opener, was upset by unranked Georgia on the road as well.

Tuesday also featured No. 21 West Virginia losing to Arizona, a dominant performance by No. 4 Duke over Pitt, a ranked matchup that saw No. 24 Michigan defeat No. 22 UCLA by 19 points on the road and more.

As usual, CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish adjusted his college basketball Top 25 and 1 rankings accordingly. The fallout from the mid-week slate now includes a new team at No. 1.

Johni Broome scored 20 points and pulled down 12 rebounds during Auburn’s 87-82 win over Texas in Austin on Tuesday. The win not only helped them secure the top spot in the updated rankings, but it was also the win that earned Bruce Pearl the school record for career wins.

The only blemish on the Tigers’ record remains against the Duke Blue Devils on the road during the first week of December. They’re off to a hot start in SEC play, too, and look to continue that trend against South Carolina on the road on Saturday.

Iowa State has won its last 10 games dating back to mid-November — an 83-81 loss to Auburn. The Cyclones have won all but two of their 13 wins decided by 10 or more points, and are outscoring their Big 12 opponents by 17.3 points through three games.

Curtis Jones leads the charge with 16.6 points per game, but T.J. Otzelberger has five players scoring in double figures and another that averages 9.6. In their most recent matchup, an 82-59 win over Utah, saw Jones and Tamin Lipsey combine for 43 points during the contest.

Duke is playing its best basketball of the season to start ACC play, and are riding a nine-game winning streak after defeating Pitt 76-47 on Tuesday. Cooper Flagg scored 14 of his 19 points in the second half to help the Blue Devils outscore the Pantheres 42-23 during the final 20 minutes.

They continue to boast the best true freshman class in the country. Teams haven’t figured out the freshman tandom of Flagg and Kon Knueppel, and 7-foot-2 Khaman Maluach is an oak tree in the paint.

Florida is 1-1 in SEC play, but might have the most impressive resume in the conference during the first two games. Despite falling to Kentucky in Rupp Arena, the Gators put up 100 on the Wildcats and turned around immediately and beat down the top-ranked Tennessee Volunteers by 30 points.

The Gators have an interesting road test at Arkansas coming up on Saturday. With the SEC’s depth, you can’t count the Razorbacks out but momentum is sure to be on Florida’s side as travel to Fayetteville this weekend.

Alabama basketball team vs. Oklahoma (courtesy UA Athletics)

Alabama is 4-1 against ranked opponents this season and has won its last six games dating back to the Thanksgiving Day loss to Houston. The Crimson Tide had a quiet December after beating North Carolina in Chapel Hill, but tipped off SEC play with a bang against Oklahoma last weekend.

Defeating the previously undefeated Sooners 107-79, six players scored in double figures as Mark Sears led the way with 22 points and 10 assists. Impressively, the Crimson Tide out-rebounded OU 51-26 during the contest.

Shaka Smart has his Golden Eagles atop the Big East standings and 10-0 at home. At 14-2, their two losses have come during true road games that include an 81-70 loss to Iowa State and an eight-point loss to Dayton.

Marquette has a favorable schedule throughout the rest of the month, which sets up a Feb. 1 showdown against two-time defending national champions, the UConn Huskies.

Tennessee’s 30-point loss to Florida on Tuesday is not indicative of the success Rick Barnes’ squad has enjoyed over the first two months of the regular season. They defeated John Calipari’s Arkansas Razorbacks by 24 points in their previous outing, and have dominant against most of their opposition this year.

Luckily for the Vols, they have an oppportunity to piece together an impressive January with potential wins over Mississippi State, Auburn and Kentucky who are all on their schedule consecutively to end the month. They can also earn their win back on Feb. 1 when they host the Gators in Knoxville.

Mississippi State HC Chris Jans — Junfu Han | USA TODAY NETWORK

Mississippi State hasn’t lost since Nov. 29 and has defeated its first two SEC opponents by 35 points and 12, respectively. They have an opportunity to upset Kentucky this weekend coming off a double-digit loss to Georgia — a matchup which ESPN predicts the Bulldogs of having a 63.2% chance to win.

Star guard Josh Hubbard hasn’t skipped a beat since averaging 17.1 points per game as a true freshman. He’s Missippippi State’s leading scorer again, having scored 20 or more points in six their games this season.

Michigan State’s success this season has come as a surprise compared to some of the teams on this list. They began the season unranked and even suffered two tough losses before December. Tom Izzo’s squad has since won its last seven games and have been climbing the rankings since joining the AP Top 25 in mid-December.

They won’t face another ranked team until Jan. 19 when they host No. 13 Illinois, but have a tough slate coming up in February against UCLA, Oregon, Purdue, Michigan and a rematch against the Illini.

Kentucky dropped to 0-2 in true road games under first-year head coach Mark Pope following its 82-69 loss to unranked Georgia on Tuesday. They previously lost to Clemson inside Littlejohn Coliseum in December.

The two performances couldn’t have been different coming off the 106-100 win over Florida on Saturday. Kentucky has a chance to stop the road loss narrative before it begins with a tough matchup against a white-hot Mississippi State team in Starkville this weekend.

11. Illinois Fighting Illini
12. Texas A&M Aggies
13. Kansas Jayhawks
14. Oregon Ducks (+1)
15. Purdue Boilermakers (+1)
16. Memphis Tigers (+1)
17. UConn Huskies (+1)
18. Ole Miss Rebels (+1)
19. Michigan Wolverines (+6)
20. UCLA Bruins (-6)
21. Gonzaga Bulldogs (-1)
22. Houston Cougars (-1)
23. Utah State Aggies
24. Oklahoma Sooners
25. Georgia Bulldogs (NR)
26. Wisconsin Badgers