National News - Page 125

Defund the police encounters resistance as violent crime spikes

By Peter Nickeas, Julia Jones, Josh Campbell and Priya Krishnakumar One year since a nationwide movement sparked calls for slashing police funding in favor of other nontraditional forms of public safety, it’s not clear whether any city achieved anything resembling what protesters demanded: massively defunded or abolished police departments. The calls to cut funding and overhaul policing came after a police officer in Minnesota killed George Floyd by kneeling on his neck, and video of the encounter set off one of, if not the, largest protest movements in American history. Some departments defunded, at the insistence of protesters, cutting some

Experts say those who are not inoculated against Covid-19 shouldn’t rely on protection from those who are

By Madeline Holcombe The US is hitting major Covid-19 vaccination milestones, but health experts say those who are not inoculated should not rely on protection from those who are, as their infection risk hasn’t gone down in response to declining cases. “The work ahead of us Is going to be really challenging because while the people who are fully vaccinated are well protected, we still have to keep on convincing individuals who are not yet vaccinated that they are not safe,” CNN medical analyst Cr. Leana Wen told Wolf Blitzer. “The pandemic is not over for them.” The risk for

More than 50 years before George Floyd’s death, lawmakers predicted a growing racial divide

By Amir Vera A year ago, George Floyd’s chilling last words, “I can’t breathe,” sent shock waves around the world. A guilty verdict came down April 20, but Black Americans had no time to celebrate the rare occurrence of a White police officer being convicted of the murder of a Black man. The next day, Andrew Brown Jr. was fatally shot by sheriff’s deputies in North Carolina, and the officers will not face criminal charges because the district attorney ruled that the shooting was justified. Similar scenes have played out for decades: A Black person is killed by police, protests

Moderna says its Covid-19 vaccine is safe and appears effective in adolescents

By John Bonifield and Lauren Mascarenhas Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine is safe and appears to be effective in adolescents, the company said Tuesday. In a Phase 2/3 trial of 3,732 children ages 12 to 17 in the United States, blood tests showed that the vaccine produced an immune response that was equivalent to earlier findings in adults. The trial wasn’t designed to look specifically at efficacy. However, initial observations found that none of the children who received the vaccine got sick with Covid-19 starting 14 days after their second dose. Four of the children who received the placebo tested positive for

These iconic civil rights leaders have lost most of their friends. But their hope endures

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By John Blake and Suzanne Malveaux We lost civil rights icons. They lost friends. The Rev. Jesse Jackson, Xernona Clayton and Andrew Young are some of the last remaining members of a generation of civil rights activists who reshaped the US and challenged their country to become a genuine multiracial democracy. But they are also survivors who have witnessed some of their closest friends in the movement die during a sobering stretch over the past year. John Lewis. The Rev. C.T. Vivian. The Rev. Joseph Lowery. Vernon Jordan. All towering figures, all now gone. “They’re still a few of us

A vaccine marvel is bringing America back

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Analysis by Stephen Collinson America has never been closer to the end of this pandemic, which has inflicted the most universally experienced crisis and assault on national morale since World War II. The near-miraculous vaccines have the virus — which has ravaged the nation — in retreat. Deserted cities that once echoed at night to the wail of ambulance sirens are stirring. Travelers are taking to skies and once again filling un-mothballed jets. Life, nervously for many — and unbelievably for almost all — is being restored. Americans are getting used to seeing each other inside, unmasked, and learning how

Memorial events, marches and White House meeting to mark one year since George Floyd’s death

By Nicquel Terry Ellis It’s been a year since George Floyd was killed by a Minneapolis police officer, sparking global protests and supporters, activists and his family will honor Floyd with a series of celebrations of his life and marches Tuesday. From Dallas to Washington, DC, to Minneapolis, Floyd’s name will echo across the country in recognition of a man who has become a symbol in the fight for racial equality and police reform. Floyd’s sister Bridgett Floyd, his daughter Gianna Floyd and Gianna’s mother, Roxie Washington, will visit the White House at the invitation of President Joe Biden. The

Why civil rights attorney Ben Crump can’t slow down

By John Blake When he gives a speech, Ben Crump often springs an uncomfortable question on his audience. The man who has been called “Black America’s attorney general” asks listeners if they can name five Black people who have been killed by excessive police force. Audience members rattle off names like George Floyd, Michael Brown and Breonna Taylor. Crump then asks them to name one White man who has died under similar circumstances. “Not to worry,” Crump says after a minute of awkward silence. “I’ll wait for you to give me a name.” Crump says the exercise is designed to

George Floyd’s death was a year ago and traumatizing details are everywhere. Here’s how to cope

By Sandee LaMotte It’s been nearly a year since George Floyd was killed, and many additional details of the agonizing moments surrounding his death have been released. Some of the most graphic scenes are from body camera footage from three of the former Minneapolis police officers who have yet to stand trial: Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao. They were three of the four officers responding to a call accusing Floyd of using a fake $20 bill at a convenience store. The footage shows two perspectives of the events before and after the nine minutes and 29 seconds

Black Lives Matter activist in critical condition after being shot in head in London

By Jessie Yeung and Maria Fleet British Black Lives Matter activist Sasha Johnson is in critical condition after being shot in the head in London, her political party said on Sunday. “It is with great sadness that we inform you that our own Sasha Johnson has been brutally attacked and sustained a gunshot wound to her head,” the Taking the Initiative Party (TTIP) said in a statement. “She is currently in intensive care and in a critical condition.” The party said the attack happened “following numerous death threats as a result of her activism.” London’s Metropolitan Police responded to reports

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