September 07, 2021

West Point will unveil a statue honoring a group of Black soldiers

By Leah Asmelash, After years of fundraising, the US Military Academy at West Point will finally unveil a new monument dedicated to the Buffalo Soldiers, a group of Black soldiers who played a key role in the westward expansion of the United States. The monument — a 10-foot-tall bronze statue depicting a Buffalo Soldier on a horse

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Commuters walk down stairs towards track 17 for a Long Island Rail Road train at Pennsylvania Station in New York, U.S., on Monday, May 10, 2021. Ridership rates remain low in major U.S. cities, threatening the viability of public transit. Photographer: Amir Hamja/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The US workforce has gotten significantly older and more diverse

By Alicia Wallace, America’s workforce is considerably older and more diverse than it was 40-some years ago. Federal labor economists recently analyzed federal labor data to see just how much the nation’s labor force has changed in recent decades, according to a Sept. 1 blog post on the US Bureau of Labor Statistics site. In examining

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This Texas high school principal was put on administrative leave after being accused of promoting critical race theory

By Nicole Chavez, A Texas high school principal who found himself in the middle of a controversy over critical race theory was placed on paid administrative leave this week. James Whitfield, principal of Colleyville Heritage High School in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, was placed on leave Monday, a month after a community member at a school board

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The coming weeks will define Biden’s presidency and shape the midterm elections

Analysis by Stephen Collinson, President Joe Biden must define the politics of this fall before they define him, as he seeks to re-establish the authority of an administration that often appeared overtaken by a relentless summer of challenges. The weeks following Labor Day will reveal answers that will set the stage for next year’s congressional elections. They will

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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 08: Michael K. Williams attends the Los Angeles Premiere of MGM's "Respect" at Regency Village Theatre on August 08, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
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Michael K. Williams, ‘Wire’ actor, found dead

By Mark Morales and Sandra Gonzalez, Michael K. Williams, an actor best known for his role as Omar Little on HBO’s “The Wire,” has died. He was 54. Williams was found dead in his New York City apartment Monday afternoon, a law enforcement official told CNN. Investigators found drug paraphernalia near his body, the official said. The

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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 27: Chadwick Boseman attends the REVOLT X AT&T Host REVOLT Summit In Los Angeles at Magic Box on October 27, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for REVOLT)
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Chadwick Boseman fought to reestablish a fine arts department. It’s now named after him

By Faith Karimi, Chadwick Boseman’s alma mater has officially renamed a building after him. Howard University placed the late actor’s name over its fine arts building, a year after he died of colon cancer at age 43. The historically Black university released a statement and posted a time lapse video of the letters going up on the building.

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Robert E. Lee Monument is shown in Richmond, Va., on Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021. The Supreme Court of Virginia has ruled unanimously that the iconic statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee can be removed from its place of honor in Richmond. (Daniel Sangjib Min/Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP)

Robert E. Lee statue in Virginia’s capital will come down Wednesday, officials say

By Deanna Hackney, Chandelis Duster and Veronica Stracqualursi, A 12-ton statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee that sits on the historic Monument Avenue in Richmond, Virginia, is set to be taken down Wednesday, state officials said Monday. Gov. Ralph Northam announced his intention to remove the Confederate statue, which is the largest remaining in the US, in June

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A "Now Hiring" sign stands outside a restaurant in Arlington, Virginia, on August 12, 2021. - The number of US workers filing applications for unemployment benefits continues to trend downward, with another sharp drop last week, according to government data released on August 12, 2021. While the early end of special federal pandemic benefits in many states was expected to impact the data, applications for that type of aid actually rose in the week ended August 7, the Labor Department said. Initial jobless claims fell by 12,000 last week to 375,000 seasonally adjusted, the third consecutive week of declines, according to the report. (Photo by Olivier DOULIERY / AFP) (Photo by OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty Images)

Jobless Americans left scrambling after pandemic unemployment benefits end

By Tami Luhby April Stokes wants to go back to work. An optician by trade, Stokes was employed at Henry Ford OptimEyes until the coronavirus struck and school closed for her two young children. The family has been able to ride out the pandemic thanks to expanded federal unemployment benefits, which provided them with $1,152 every two

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