By Amanda Jackson Two men are facing charges after a Black Lives Matter street mural in Santa Cruz, California, was vandalized, officials said. A picture of the damage provided by the Santa Cruz Police Department showed black tire marks across yellow “Black Lives Matter” lettering on a street. Santa Cruz police said during a news conference Sunday
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By Amanda Jackson The political organization cofounded by NBA superstar LeBron James launched a new campaign Monday to promote voting rights and criminal justice reform. The campaign, “Protect Our People,” is being spearheaded by James’ More Than a Vote, a voting rights organization; and Uninterrupted, an athlete empowerment brand. “We can’t lose the momentum of last summer,”
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By Shawna Mizelle Former US President Barack Obama has joined NBA Africa as a strategic partner, the National Basketball Association announced on Tuesday. Obama “will help advance the league’s social responsibility efforts across the continent, including programs and partnerships that support greater gender equality and economic inclusion,” according to a news release from the NBA. He will
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By Nathaniel Meyersohn Walmart will pay for full college tuition and book costs at some schools for its US workers, the latest effort by the largest private employer in the country to sweeten its benefits as it seeks to attract and retain talent in a tight job market. The program includes 10 academic partners ranging from the
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By Omar Jimenez and Brad Parks Chicago’s police superintendent on Monday blamed the state court system for another spate of deadly weekend shootings in the city, singling out judges for releasing on bail too many people charged with violent crimes. But in a year where the number of shootings in Chicago have been up roughly
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By Brad Lendon US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said Tuesday that China’s claims and actions in the Indo-Pacific threaten the sovereignty of nations around the region while Washington is committed to building partnerships that guarantee the vital interest of all nations. “Beijing’s claim to the vast majority of the South China Sea has no basis in
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By Jarrett Carter Sr. The winding road to Charlotte Morris finally being named as Tuskegee University’s permanent president reached its destination today, as the long-serving executive will finally steer the Machine with a formal executive’s title, salary, and expectations. Her credentials as a key part of the university’s academic enterprise for the better part of
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By Ben Church and Jill Martin Simone Biles has withdrawn from the individual all-around competition to focus on her mental health, USA Gymnastics announced on Wednesday. Her withdrawal comes after the 24-year-old — one of the greatest gymnasts of all time — stepped away from a dramatic team competition on Tuesday, citing mental heath concerns as she attempts
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By Fredreka Schouten Civil rights activists and voting rights groups this week are intensifying pressure on Congress to advance federal voting rights legislation as a bulwark against an array of new laws in Republican-controlled states that make it harder to vote. Activists say they also are growing increasingly impatient with President Joe Biden and his reluctance to
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By Jeremy Diamond, Kevin Liptak and Kaitlan Collins The steps President Joe Biden’s administration is adopting this week to re-recommend masks and require vaccines for federal workers amount to emergency actions designed to contain a new surge of Covid-19 that has quickly become the top issue confronting the White House. The moves reflect a dramatic shift from earlier messaging
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