National News - Page 147

Obama Presidential Center Honors Community and Legacy

By April Ryan A U.S. presidential library typically stands as a marker of time for a commander and chief and his years of service inside the Oval Office. However, a new library being constructed on the south side of Chicago for America’s first Black president Barack Obama is different. The Obama Presidential Center is actually the polar opposite of the historic libraries that currently stand in honor of past United States presidents. The library for the 44th U.S. president will focus on others — an emphasis on the “we” in the “Yes, we can!” slogan from Obama’s U.S. Senate campaign

Attorneys Seek Clemency for 1917 Black Soldiers in Houston

By siawi3 A group of attorneys and advocates have pledged to seek clemency for 110 Black soldiers who were convicted in a mutiny and riots at a military camp in Houston in 1917. The South Texas College of Law Houston and the local branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) have signed an agreement to continue fighting for clemency for the soldiers of the all-Black Third Battalion of the US Army’s 24th Infantry Regiment, the Houston Chronicle reported. They plan to ask the secretary of the army to posthumously grant honorable discharges and urge the army board for

Rachael Rollins Sworn In Amid Rise in Threats, Racist Abuse

By Christina Carrega, The first Black woman to lead the US Attorney’s Office for Massachusetts was sworn in Monday as she faces an uptick in threats against her following a contentious confirmation process. The violent and often racist threats against Rachael Rollins have been reported to authorities, and she is seeking protection from the US Marshals Service, sources familiar with the matter told CNN. The threats escalated shortly after the Senate narrowly voted to confirm her to the post in December, according to one source. Vice President Kamala Harris had cast the tie-breaking vote to confirm Rollins after Republicans questioned what

Ahmaud Arbery’s Killers Sentenced to Life in Prison

By Dakin Andone, Eliott C. McLaughlin, Alta Spells and Devon M. Sayers, Three White men who chased and murdered 25-year-old Black jogger Ahmaud Arbery in south Georgia were sentenced to life in prison Friday, with two having no chance of parole. Travis McMichael, 35, his father, Gregory McMichael, 66, and neighbor William “Roddie” Bryan were convicted in November on a raft of charges, including felony murder, for Arbery’s death. Judge Timothy Walmsley sentenced the McMIchaels to life in prison without the possibility of parole, while Bryan was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole. The 52-year-old will be

Arctic Blast and Gulf Coast Tornadoes Threaten Millions

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By Haley Brink, Gene Norman and Holly Yan, As frigid, arctic air engulfs the Upper Midwest and Northeast, some Gulf Coast states are at risk for more tornadoes. About 10 million people are under wind chill advisories in parts of North Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin, where wind chills are expected to plummet to -25 to -40 degrees Monday. Parts of New York, Vermont and Massachusetts are also under wind chill advisories through Tuesday, with wind chills expected to plunge to about 35 degrees below zero. Such “dangerously cold wind chills could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as

Top U.S. Universities Sued for Financial Aid Collusion

By Raja Razek, Sixteen top US universities, including Duke, Vanderbilt and Northwestern, are being sued by five former students claiming those schools may be involved in antitrust violations in the way those institutions worked together in determining financial aid awards for students, according to the lawsuit filed in a US District Court in Illinois. The complaint, which was filed Sunday, alleges that these private national universities have “participated in a price-fixing cartel that is designed to reduce or eliminate financial aid as a locus of competition, and that in fact has artificially inflated the net price of attendance for students

Chicago Schools Reopen After COVID Testing Agreement

By Chris Boyette, Raja Razek, Amir Vera and Holly Yan, Chicago teachers are set to return to work Tuesday and students to get back to in-person instruction Wednesday following a breakthrough in union negotiations with the city over Covid-19 mitigation measures. The standoff, which will have kept 340,000 students in the third-largest US school system out of classrooms for a week, has become perhaps the nation’s most contentious as the Omicron variant has caused a spike in coronavirus cases, again raising questions about pros and cons of in-person versus virtual school. The Chicago agreement, which includes enhanced Covid-19 testing in schools, will extend through the rest

Omicron Surge Sparks Widespread U.S. Staff Shortages

By Theresa Waldrop and Julia Jones, As the Omicron variant sweeps the nation, it’s disrupting everything from garbage collection and emergency services, schools and travel as employees are out sick or in quarantine. In New York, trash is going uncollected and three subway lines are closed because so many workers are out sick. Schools and hospitals are reporting staff shortages, too, and airlines continue to cancel flights. More than 700,000 new Covid-19 cases a day are reported on average across the nation as the Omicron variant spreads like wildfire, and it’s not going to get better soon, health experts and economists said.

New Orleans Renames Lee Blvd to Honor Allen Toussaint

By Chris Boyette and Keith Allen, The New Orleans City Council voted unanimously Thursday to change the name of Robert E. Lee Boulevard to Allen Toussaint Boulevard, councilmember Jared C. Brossett confirmed to CNN Saturday. Toussaint, a New Orleans music legend, died in 2015 of a heart attack while he was touring in Madrid. Brossett introduced the ordinance last month to rename the boulevard after Toussaint instead of the Confederate general, saying in a news release “it’s well beyond time to make this change.” “The City of New Orleans should prioritize celebrating our culture bearers, our diversity, and everything that makes our City special, not those who

DA Alvin Bragg Unveils Reform Plan for Manhattan Justice

By Sonia Moghe, Just days after taking office, Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg released a memo detailing new charging, bail, plea and sentencing policies that he said he believes will make the city safer and the criminal justice system more fair, yet the plan faces criticism from police union leaders. Among the crimes Bragg said his office would not prosecute: marijuana misdemeanors, including selling more than three ounces; not paying public transportation fare; trespassing except a fourth degree stalking charge, resisting arrest, obstructing governmental administration in certain cases, and prostitution. Misdemeanor offenses that are legally required to be given a “desk appearance ticket”

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