National News - Page 111

A day of reckoning shows America’s pandemic battle is sliding backward

 by Stephen Collinson It’s not over. Nowhere near it. If Joe Biden’s July Fourth fireworks marked a moment to declare the darkest days of the pandemic over, Monday was the day when reality dawned that the nation’s fight against Covid-19 is quickly sliding back in the wrong direction. A hybrid version of American life that will pass for normality for the foreseeable future is coming into view, in which most of the vaccinated live and many of those who refuse their shots get sick or die. In a moment of stark symbolism, new schools guidance released Monday from the American

Two more Texas House Democrats test positive for Covid-19 in Washington

By Paul LeBlanc and Rachel Janfaza Two more Texas state House Democrats who traveled to Washington, DC, last week have tested positive for Covid-19, the Texas House Democratic Caucus said in a statement Sunday evening, bringing the total number of infected legislators to five. The lawmakers are part of the group that left Texas, flying from Austin to Washington to break the state House’s quorum and block Republicans from passing a restrictive new voting law. The caucus had decided to undergo rapid Covid-19 tests after the initial positive tests, according to the statement, which said the two additional infected members

EU politicians urge Olympics to lift ‘exclusionary’ ban on swim cap for natural Black hair

Exclusive by Luke McGee An anti-racist group of members of the European Parliament have accused the global sports community, including the International Olympic Committee (IOC), of having “institutional structures and rules that exclude people of colour and Black women specifically.” In a letter to Thomas Bach and Sebastian Coe, presidents of the IOC and World Athletics, the Anti-Racism and Diversity Intergroup of the European Parliament said that the International Swimming Federation’s (FINA) effective banning of the Soul Cap at international tournaments, including the Olympics, “reflects stigmatisation of Black hair and leads to institutional inequalities, especially targeting Black women.” Soul Cap,

PTA official who resigned after ‘let them die’ comment says not aimed at critical race theory protesters

By Sara Sidner and Artemis Moshtaghian A leader in the Virginia Parent Teacher Association who resigned after saying “let them die” during a speech attended by counter-protesters opposed to critical race theory being taught in schools says her comments were not aimed at them. Michelle Leete, the Virginia PTA Vice President of Training, was asked to resign after she made the controversial comments in front of a crowd, according to a statement from the Virginia PTA. Leete is also a board member of the Fairfax, Virginia, NAACP. Leete’s comments were captured in video taken outside Luther Jackson Middle School, where

Biz Markie, ‘Just A Friend’ rapper, dead at 57

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By Lisa Respers France and Andy Rose Biz Markie, who infused his music with so much fun and humor that he became known as “The Clown Prince of Hip Hop,” has died, his manager, Jenni Izumi, confirmed to CNN. He was 57. “Biz created a legacy of artistry that will forever be celebrated by his industry peers and his beloved fans whose lives he was able to touch through music, spanning over 35 years,” Izumi said in a written statement. Beloved in the music industry for his lighthearted persona, Biz Markie even had a dance named for him. Born Marcel

Dozens of Black cultural sites will be preserved for years to come, thanks to a $3 million grant

By Harmeet Kaur The stories and legacies of Black Americans can be found throughout the US, each site and landmark helping illustrate a more complete picture of the nation we live in. History lives on in the communities where formerly enslaved people settled after the end of the Civil War, and the safe havens where Black Americans sought refuge from the dangers of Jim Crow. Legacies endure in the colleges and universities that birthed generations of Black scholars and leaders, and in the homes of prominent musicians and poets. Dozens of these places will now be preserved for years to

Navy christens USNS John Lewis on anniversary of civil rights icon’s death

By Chris Boyette With the breaking of a bottle of sparkling wine across its bow, the first in a class of Navy oiler ships was christened the USNS John Lewis in San Diego on the one year anniversary of the longtime US congressman’s death. “It’s fitting that we honor John Lewis with this formidable ship, because John Lewis was a warrior. One of the mottos of the Navy is ‘Semper Fortis’ — ‘Always Courageous’ — and John Lewis was indeed always courageous,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who led a congressional delegation to the event on Saturday. “This ship will

Shooting near Nationals Park puts renewed focus on another weekend of gun violence in US

By Eric Levenson A series of shootings over the weekend in Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington, DC, and other American cities underscored the ongoing rise in shootings and gun violence in the US this year. The shooting near Nationals Park in DC was the most prominent of the incidents, as the audible gunshots sent fans and players scrambling for safety in the middle of a Washington Nationals baseball game. Other shootings injured children, including a 1-year-old wounded on Saturday night in Philadelphia. They further a trend of heightened gun violence that emerged after Covid-19 lockdowns were lifted. According to the FBI’s preliminary

FBI agrees to consider upgrading criminal background checks to prevent sale of guns to underage and out-of-state buyers

By Christina Carrega The FBI has agreed to consider modifying its criminal background check system after the Justice Department’s inspector general found the system did not cross check the buyer’s age with legal requirements of their home state, according to a report released on Thursday. Under federal law, customers are not allowed to buy firearms, specifically a rifle or a shotgun, in a jurisdiction that is different from the address listed on their identification unless the customer’s age is legal in both the state of sale and where the person lives, according to the report. The findings stem from an

This all-Black Women’s Army Corps unit from WWII may finally receive a Congressional Gold Medal

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By Neelam Bohra and Radhika Marya Members of the Women’s Army Corps’ all-Black 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion had to fight racial discrimination, gender discrimination and the war itself during World War II. After traveling overseas in 1945, the unit, nicknamed “Six Triple Eight,” survived encounters with Nazi U-boats and a German rocket explosion before spending months sorting through unheated warehouses stacked to the ceiling with mail and packages, according to the US Army Center of Military history. The battalion cleared a six-month backlog of mail in just three months. Quarters were segregated by race and gender, leaving the group

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