By. Donald V. Watkins Copyrighted and Published on February 7, 2024 An Editorial Opinion The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission (SACSCOC) is the accrediting agency for colleges and schools located in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia. SACSCOC accredits Birmingham Southern College (BSC), a historically white private college (HWCU) located on the West side of Birmingham.  Without SACSCOC accreditation, a college degree from BSC would be worthless. On December 3, 2023, SACSCOC placed Birmingham Southern on “Warning” status.  SACSCOC's accreditation of BSC includes all components of the institution—all programs, branch campuses, off-campus sites, and distance education programs as reported to SACSCOC.  Thus, the “Warning” status applies to the entire institution. SACSCOC determined that BSC failed to demonstrate compliance with the Principles of Accreditation with respect to the college's governing board of trustees and its destitute financial condition.  In short, BSC’s is in a big financial mess. In addition to its problems with SACSCOC accreditation, on December 22, 2023, Moody’s withdrew BSC’s credit rating.  Without a Moody's credit rating, no prudent, knowledgeable, and responsible lender will make a loan to BSC in any amount of money. For context, credit ratings for individuals range from a low of 350 (or poor) to a high of 850. (or excellent).  If your credit rating sits at 350, you are better off today than BSC -- which has no credit rating whatsoever. Despite BSC’s governance issues and its destitute financial position, as documented by SACSCOC and Moody's, the city of Birmingham approved a $5 million loan for the college on November 28, 2023.  The city's loan comes from tax dollars, rather than private donations that the mayor and council members mustered up from their circle of rich and politically connected friends. In contrast, the city has no known program for lending taxpayer money to city residents/businesses that lack a credit score and the ability to repay the loan. BSC's $5 million loan is a special taxpayer-sponsored perk for a private HWCU that is trapped on Birmingham's West side.. What is worse, city officials have taken no legal action to protect taxpayers by placing the city of Birmingham's $5 million loan in the superior lien position with respect to all existing lenders. Furthermore, the city has done absolutely nothing to ensure that BSC addresses the governance issues that got BSC into this financial mess in the first place. At this juncture, the city's $5 million loan to BSC is an utter and complete waste of tax dollars.  It will never be repaid. Unfortunately, BSC is the victim of six decades of “white” flight from the West side of Birmingham -- and all that comes with this demographic change.  No amount of money from the city or state will save it. Last October, the state rejected BSC's request for a $30 million loan. A state court judge in Montgomery later determined that the state's denial of this $30 million loan request was a reasonable and prudent financial decision by Alabama State Treasurer Young Boozer, III. Finally, there are plenty of productive, income-producing, and beneficial uses for BSC’s 192-acre campus after the college closes.  The city needs to revitalize the area by embracing a newer, better, and higher use for this 192 acres of property.

By. Donald V. Watkins Copyrighted and Published on February 6, 2024 Today, a federal court of appeals in Washington confirmed for the public what most competent lawyers knew all along – there is no such thing in U.S. law as presidential immunity for criminal acts. None of the 46 U.S. president has ever enjoyed such immunity. Presidential immunity for criminal acts is not authorized in the U.S. Constitution.  It is not authorized in any federal statute. It is not authorized in the Code of Federal Regulations. Such an immunity claim is merely a figment of Donald Trump’s imagination.  This was a “bullshit” legal argument when it was first asserted by Trump’s lawyers. We are NOT running a monarchy in America.  There is no King, Queen, or Emperor, who is above in law. No man, woman, or child in the U.S. is above the law.  This is a bedrock principle of American law.  This is the one feature of American democracy that separates the U.S. from every other nation on the planet. Trump had an opportunity to pardon himself for any and all crimes he may have committed as president before he left office in January 2021, but he failed to exercise this presidential power for his own benefit. You can read the appeals court ruling in U.S. v. Trump here.

By: Donald V. Watkins Copyrighted and Published on February 5, 2024 EXCLUSIVE BREAKING NEWS --- Moody’s is a global integrated credit rating agency.  On December 22, 2023, Moody’s quietly de-listed Birmingham Southern College (BSC) as a credit rated institution. Today, BSC has no Moody’s credit rating whatsoever. Moody's withdrew it on December 22nd. The de-listing occurred AFTER Moody’s formally placed BSC under a special review of its credit rating on November 21, 2023, due to a lack of sufficient information. Yet, on November 28, 2023, the city of Birmingham awarded BSC a whopping $5 million loan to stay open for the Spring of 2024. Furthermore, the city’s $5 million loan was awarded AFTER Alabama State Treasurer Young Boozer, III, denied BSC a $30 million loan in October 2023 under Alabama's newly passed Distressed Institutions of Higher Learning Revolving Loan Fund Act (2023). Prior to the December 22nd de-listing of BSC, Moody’s rated BSC as “Caa2,” which is the equivalent of a junk bond.  (Moody's defines Caa-rated obligations as those that “are judged to be of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk.”) In Moody's Investors Service's ratings system, securities are assigned a rating from Aaa to C, with Aaa being the highest quality and C the lowest quality. News of BSC’s de-listing has been quashed in the state’s legacy news media.  In fact, these news media organizations have been supportive of the loans sought by BSC, as evidenced by their numerous "old glory" stories on BSC and editorial opinions. No government agency in the history of Alabama has loaned taxpayer money to a private educational entity with a “Caa2” Moody’s junk bond credit rating. Now, $5 million in Birmingham taxpayer dollars is completely exposed to the full range of the credit risks of BSC, a de-listed Moody’s borrower. For all practical purposes, the city's $5 million is gone.  City of Birmingham taxpayers are left holding a bag full of empty promises from an institutional borrower whose ability to repay this $5 million debt died a long time ago. At this juncture, it is impossible to save BSC.

By: Donald V. Watkins Copyrighted and Published on February 2, 2024 An Editorial Opinion When Taylor Swift had to make her own marquee sign and performed before small crowds in third tier concert markets, nobody but her parents, brother, and a small circle of friends cared about her career. In 2009, Taylor Swift suffered through Kanye West's bizarre antics at the MTV Video Music Awards, which she handled with class and character. Today, Taylor Swift is a global icon in the music and entertainment world who plays to sold-out audiences around the globe. Taylor Swift has won 12 Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, 40 American Music Awards, 40 Billboard Music Awards, and 23 MTV Video Music Awards.  She is the female musician with the most charted songs, most top-40 songs, most top-20 songs, most top-10 songs, most top-five songs, and most number-one debuts.  Swift's Eras Tour is the highest grossing tour of all time. Taylor Swift is worth an estimated $1.1 billion. She is a self-made billionaire. Today, Taylor Swift is enjoying a close and loving personal relationship with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. Taylor Swift has worked long and hard to make her dreams come true. Stop "hating" on her!  It makes you look small and petty. All of us should be proud of Taylor Swift and her successes in life. I am happy for her. Finally, for those who are obsessed with America's political arena, Taylor Swift is on the "right side of history."

By: Donald V. Watkins Copyrighted and Published on February 1, 2024 In February 2022, President Joe Biden announced “crippling sanctions” against Russia for invading Ukraine.  These sanctions targeted Russian banks and billionaire oligarchs. This week, international news agencies reported that Russian banks posted record profits in 2023.  This news shows how Russia has weathered Biden’s “crippling sanctions." Russian banks raked in 3.3tn rubles (£29bn) last year, the Russian Central Bank (CBR) announced on Tuesday. This figure is up from just 200bn rubles in 2022, when profits fell almost 90 per cent due to Western sanctions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. As part of Biden’s international pressure campaign on Russia, authorities from around the world seized more than a half-dozen super-yachts belonging to billionaire oligarchs allied with Russian President Vladimir Putin.  These seizures meant nothing to Putin. Today, the war rages on, with no end in sight. The Joe Biden administration and U.S. Congress have directed more than $75 billion in assistance to Ukraine (through July 31, 2023), which includes humanitarian, financial, and military support, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, a German research institute. Congressional Republicans are balking at sending more U.S. aid to Ukraine. As a political Independent, I am balking, too. Joe Biden does not have a clue about what he is doing in the world of foreign affairs.  For example, Biden made a catastrophe out of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. Biden is notoriously soft on Iran and its state-sponsored terrorism in the Middle East.  He appears to be incapable of protecting America's national interests abroad or keeping her citizens safe in foreign countries. Since October, Biden has enabled Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ability to commit genocide against more than 25,000 innocent Palestinian men, women, and children in Gaza. All world leaders know that Netanyahu is nothing but a "thug" with a prominent national government title. Biden's southern border policy has been an unmitigated disaster. Nobody defends it. With this in mind, it’s time for America to find another pathway forward on the war in Ukraine.

By: Donald V. Watkins Copyrighted and Published on January 31, 2024 Most people don’t get it.  They think I should be slowing done in my work-related activities. Wrong! A lot of people know I had a great track record as a litigation attorney.  I hold the national record for winning the most felony counts (85) in a single defendant case (U.S. v. Richard Scrushy).   I also hold the national record for winning 155 straight courtroom victories. These records in law will likely never be broken in my lifetime. The person who taught me the art of war in law was a janitor at the University of Alabama’s law school named Mr. Ramus Rhodes.  Every courtroom victory in my career was dedicated to Mr. Rhodes, with a smile on my face. I enjoyed dominating my opponents in the “gladiator pit,” but my passion has always been in the international business arena. Today, two companies provided me with the international platforms to pursue my passion in international business – Nabirm Energy Services (Pty) Ltd. and Masada Resource Group, LLC. Nabirm is based in Windhoek, Namibia (West Africa).  In July 2012, Nabirm was awarded a petroleum exploration license by the Namibian Ministry of Mines and Energy.  In 2016, the company announced the discovery of a massive reservoir of unrisked oil and natural gas within its licensed territory offshore.  The company is proceeding with the geotechnical work program necessary for the commercial extraction of these natural resources. Masada is a waste-to-energy technology company.  Based in California today, the company is presently pursuing the development of a planned waste-to-ethanol facility in the Durbin/Mandeni Region of South Africa. The Nabirm and Masada project development experiences are akin to mountain-climbing.  There are no short-cuts, and these projects require tremendous focus, detailed planning, world-class partners, flawless execution, and a fair amount of patience. I am blessed to work with the best and brightest minds in the U.S. and around the globe on both projects. It took several years to accomplish, but I have finally freed myself of the naysayers, negative thinkers, and obstructionists who worked hard to slow the forward progress of both companies. Our business development teams work each day to bring our projects to life.  The dedication, focus, and energy of my team members never ceases to amaze me. In mountain-climbing, we focus on how close we are to the summit, not how far we have come from the base of the mountain. I learned this valuable lesson from my teachers at Alabama State College Laboratory High School.  They taught us the art of mountain-climbing in life and in business.  Today, I climb these two mountains for them. I want to become a full participant in the global stream of commerce.  I enjoy building competitive international businesses, with their never-ending challenges, ups and downs, and occasional successes. Finally, it is also a wonderful experience whenever my business development teams get a chance to shatter the negative racial stereotypes held by many Americans (both black and white).  We have done this -- against all odds -- in the fields of law, banking, and now, energy.

By: Donald V. Watkins Copyrighted and Published on January 30, 2024 Masada Resource Group, LLC, is pleased to announce that it has executed a Preferred Services Agreement with Wyoming-based Mine Plus Consulting Group, LLC. Mine Plus will provide Masada with contracts management, project accounting, cost controls, data analysis, project development and controls, planning/scheduling, and document control services on Masada's waste-to-energy projects worldwide. The global contract between the two firms was signed today. Mine Plus will begin its vendor services by working on Masada's planned waste-to-energy project in South Africa. On October 12, 2022, I published an article titled, “Masada: The Demand for Clean Fuel Conquers All.” Since this article was published, a lot of positive things have happened in the global marketplace for Masada. On January 17, 2024, Masada executed an Engagement Letter with Synergy Consulting Infrastructure and Financial Advisory Services, Inc., to provide Masada financial advisory services for the company's planned $300 million USD waste-to-energy project in the Durbin/Mandeni Region of South Africa. On August 22, 2023, Masada executed a Project Management Services Agreement with TWD Technologies Ltd., headquartered in Burlington, Ontario (Canada), to provide end-to-end project management services for this planned waste-to-energy project. With soaring fuel costs, Masada offers common sense solutions to the production of clean-burning fuels at affordable prices per gallon or liter. Additionally, Masada’s 2007 “Sponsored Research Agreement” with Auburn University broadened the company’s portfolio of energy creating solutions and gave Masada a sustained competitive advantage, worldwide. Masada enjoys a reputation for excellence in the field of clean energy and international business. In 2015, Masada was the recipient of the Alabama Governor’s Trade Excellence Award. Masada's achievements in business and accomplishments in the clean energy sector have been recognized by global biofuels organizations and trade publications. Masada is moving forward with projects that produce clean burning fuels around the world. The demand for commercial-scale clean fuel production technologies is surging in a host of developed countries. The timing is right for Masada's smart, clean energy solutions in signatory countries to the 2016 Paris Agreement. South Africa is one of these progressive countries.

By: Donald V. Watkins Copyrighted and Published on January 28, 2024 An Editorial Opinion For Nikki Haley and others of her political ilk, explaining the American Civil War should not be hard to do. The Civil War is a shining example of the greatness of 2,128,948 ordinary Americans from slaveholding and non-slaveholding states who served in the Union Army. Of this number, 640,046 Union soldiers were casualties of war. According to official government records, 110,100 Union Army soldiers were killed in battle; 224,580 of them died of diseases; 275,174 were wounded, and 30,192 were prisoners of war. I honor the sacrifices of these 2,128,948 Union soldiers, who were overwhelming white Americans. These soldiers left their families, communities, and farms across America to put an end to the system of private and commercial slavery in our country, even if they had to die to do so. Slavery, as authorized in the Thirteenth Amendment, still exists within America's state and federal penal systems. No U.S. president, whether Democrat of Republican, conservative or progressive, black or white, has seen fit to dismantle penal slavery, even though they had/have plenty of legal tools to do so. Because of the personal sacrifices of these 2,128,948 Union soldiers, my family members of African descent are free men and women today. I am not aware of any American voter who favors private and commercial slavery.  Yet, politicians like Nikki Haley tip-toe around the issue of slavery, as if they believe some GOP voters and Independents want a reinstatement of the old system of private and commercial slavery in the U.S. To my knowledge, no voter wants to enslave any group of Americans. Twice in American history, ordinary Americans with extraordinary courage rose up to put down tyranny within our borders.  The first time this occurred was when the colonists fought and won the American Revolution.  The second time this occurred was when 2,128,948 Union soldiers fought and won the Civil War. After the Civil War was won, America, as a measure of grace, forgave the Confederate Army officers and soldiers who waged a war against the United States. Personally, I cannot honor anybody who fought and died to keep my ancestors enslaved. However, I fully understand that there are tens of millions of Americans who feel the need to honor enslavers for reasons that are personal with them. I do not believe in any form of enslavement -- no matter how many school boards reimagine slavery in today's history books to make it seem benign and beneficial to American slaves of African descent. The American Revolution and Civil War were two great moments in American history. All Americans should embrace and celebrate these moments in our nation's history. No American should be ever be ashamed of the fact that 2,128,948 Union soldiers fought and won a war to put an end to private and commercial slavery in the U.S.

By: Donald V. Watkins Copyrighted and Published on January 26, 2024 An Editorial Opinion Fani Willis’ Financial Disclosure Report for 2022 fails to list thousands of dollars in airfare, hotel bookings, luxury vacation packages, and other gifts that special prosecutor Nathan J. Wade lavished upon Willis during 2022. On her “Fulton County Income and Financial Disclosure Report” for 2022, Willis was asked in Section B (3) whether she received a “gift or favor from a single prohibited source in the aggregate amount of $100.00 or more.” A “prohibited source” is any person who is “doing business with the county” or “has interests that may be affected by the performance or non-performance of official duties by the officer or employ” who received the gift. In Willis' answer to this question, she reported, “None.” Willis’ Financial Disclosure Report is an annual filing mandated by the Fulton County Code of Ethics (2004). It applies to all elected officials of Fulton County. The Report for 2022 was signed by Willis and filed on April 17, 2023. Nathan J. Wade's Credit Card Statements Contradict Willis' Negative Answer to the Question of Whether She Received "Gifts" from a Fulton County Vendor Credit card statements disclosed earlier this month in Nathan J. Wade’s divorce proceedings document thousands of dollars in "gifts" from Wade to Willis in 2022. Willis hired Wade as a special prosecutor in November 2021 to work on the Donald Trump RICO case in Atlanta.  Since then, Willis has personally approved nearly $700,000 in payments to Wade and his law firm. The lavish gifts from Wade to Willis started after he was hired by Willis. Willis and Wade are reportedly "lovers," as well. There is no provision in the Fulton County Code of Ethics that exempts a "lover/public official" from reporting his/her receipt of gifts of $100 or more from his/her "lover/romantic vendor partner." Fani Willis’ receipt of thousands of dollars in unreported gifts from Wade in 2022 is a huge legal problem for both Willis and Wade. There is no provision in state or federal law that authorizes a prosecutor to commit an ethics violation in the pursuit of a criminal prosecution against any individual. Typically, the Fulton County District Attorney's Office would be responsible for enforcing the Fulton County Code of Ethics. In this case, however, the District Attorney, herself, is one of the apparent violators. It is unknown whether the U.S. Attorney's Office in Atlanta is investigating this matter. They would have jurisdiction to do so. The situation with Fani T. Willis and Nathan J. Wade is one hot mess.

By: Donald V. Watkins Copyrighted and Published on January 24, 2024 Democrats have done nothing to derail Donald Trump from winning the 2024 presidential election.  They are foolishly banking on Joe Biden’s ability to stop Donald Trump. This "hoped for" outcome is an exercise in fantasy. After Trump wins the election November, I predict he will appoint Alina Habba as his Attorney General.  Trump knows exactly what he is getting with Alina Habba – someone who will do what she is told to do, without questions and without exercising any independent legal judgment. Trump will also name Miami U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon to the next vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court.  Judge Cannon has proven her loyalty to Trump in his Miami federal criminal case. Judicial skills, integrity, and competency are no longer requirements to serve as a justice on the Supreme Court. Clarence Thomas is a classic example of this truism. After Trump locks up the GOP nomination for president, I predict he will pick Arizonian Kari Lake for his VP running mate at the Republican Party Convention in July. She is the feisty kind of ass-kicker Trump likes. Plus, Kari Lake is not scared of anybody. These three appointments will set the tone for the Trump presidency in January 2025 – “No Mercy.” I do not expect to see anybody who ran against Trump serving in his Cabinet, no matter how much ass-kissing they do.  Trump is not a forgiving man.  Mitch Romney can explain this truism to you. As for the prosecutors who indicted Trump in New York, Washington, Miami, and Georgia, they are all screwed.  Alina Habba’s Department of Justice will get them all. Most Americans simply do not realize how political the Department of Justice is and always has been.  The Department fabricates criminal cases against political enemies with impunity and regularly "fixes" criminal cases for political friends. Hunter Biden can tell you how this truism works. He's been on both ends of this spectrum. What is more, Trump posted this direct warning in all caps on his Truth Social page in August 2023: “If you go after me, I’m coming after you!” If I have to explain Trump’s warning to you at this juncture, you are already lost in the fog of political warfare.

By: Donald V. Watkins Copyrighted and Published on January 23, 2024 An Editorial Opinion I am an independent voter who is registered to vote in California. Tonight, Donald Trump became the presumptive Republican nominee for President.  He is the undisputed "King" of the GOP Party. Joe Biden needs to bow out of the race, ASAP.  Voters are not buying whatever Biden is selling.  Biden is old, tired, frail, and senile. He reminds me of expired milk. Anybody else in Biden’s physical and mental condition would be living in nursing home or an assisted living facility by now. What is worse, Vice-President Kamala Harris is more unpopular than Biden.  She is as "light and fluffy" as a Pillsbury doughboy biscuit. Democrats must dump Biden and Harris now and replace them with a presidential ticket that is electable. A Viable Alternative to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris I firmly believe that West Virginia U.S. Senator Joe Manchin offers Democrats the best chance to stop Donald Trump from winning the 2024 presidential election in November. Independent voters would support Joe Manchin as the head of the Democratic Party presidential ticket. Manchin needs to pick his own running mate, and it cannot be Kamala Harris. California Gov. Gavin Newson is not a viable national candidate for the presidency.  Californians were ready to remove Newsome from office a couple of years ago.  Somehow, Newsome survived the recall election. I am willing to support Joe Manchin as a presidential candidate. I am also willing to direct about $75 million in donations from my nationwide network of political friends and allies to Joe Manchin's campaign, should he run for the presidency. We are also ready, willing, and able to deliver up to 2 million newly registered independent voters in six swing states to Joe Manchin. Personally, I do not agree with many of Joe Manchin’s public policy positions on domestic issues, but at least Manchin has proven that he can work across the aisle to get things done. Epilogue Under no circumstances will I “crash and burn” with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. I would not trust Biden or Harris to lead me to the restroom at a Love’s Travel Stop along a busy Interstate highway. I have no personal animosity toward Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. This is strictly political business.

By: Donald V. Watkins Copyrighted and Published on August 29, 2023 On October 12, 2022, I published an article titled, “Masada: The Demand for Clean Fuel Conquers All.” A lot of positive things have happened in the global marketplace since this article was published. Since 1998, I have owned a company named Watkins-Pencor, LLC. It is the designated “Manager” of the Masada Resource Group, LLC, family of companies. Masada is an international waste-to-fuel technology company. Between 2007 and 2017, Masada established 19 international partnerships to facilitate the commercial deployment of waste-to-fuel market opportunities in over 40 locations around the world. Watkins-Pencor also holds an ownership interest in various Masada affiliates worldwide. On August 22, 2023, Masada executed a Project Management Services Agreement with TWD Technologies Ltd., headquartered in Burlington, Ontario (Canada), to provide end-to-end project management services for its planned $300 million USD waste-to-energy project in the Durbin/Mandeni area of South Africa. TWD is an engineering, procurement, and construction management consulting company that provides project development, execution, and specialty engineering services to the Energy and Infrastructure sectors. With soaring fuel costs, Masada offers common sense solutions to the production of clean-burning fuels at affordable prices per gallon or liter. Additionally, Masada’s 2007 “Sponsored Research Agreement” with Auburn University broadened the company’s portfolio of energy creating solutions and gave us a sustained competitive advantage, worldwide. Masada and Watkins-Pencor enjoyed a reputation for excellence in the field of clean energy and international business. In 2015, Masada was the recipient of the Alabama Governor’s Trade Excellence Award. The company's achievements in business and accomplishments in the clean energy sector have been recognized by global biofuels organizations and trade publications. Masada is moving forward with projects that produce clean burning fuels around the world. The demand for commercial-scale clean fuel production technologies is surging in a host of developed countries. The timing is right for Masada's smart, clean energy solutions in signatory countries to the 2016 Paris Agreement. South Africa is one of these progressive countries.