National News - Page 163

Groveland Four Officially Exonerated After 72 Years

By Sara Weisfeldt, The families of the “Groveland Four” got some closure Monday after Florida officially cleared four young Black men wrongly accused of raping a 17-year-old White girl in 1949. Circuit Court Judge Heidi Davis in Lake County, Florida, granted the State’s motion to posthumously dismiss the indictments of Ernest Thomas and Samuel Shepherd and vacated the convictions of Charles Greenlee and Walter Irvin, in the case known as the “Groveland Four.” “I would not hate, but I will love and embrace all of those who did not know at the time that my father was a caring and

Students Defend Books Amid Ban Push in Kansas City Schools

By Jackson Kurtz Students in the North Kansas City school district are fighting back against a parent group that wants the district to ban certain books. The parents say the books are inappropriate. Over a dozen students were at the district’s school board meeting, many passionately describing why it’s important to keep books on the shelves. The school district says it pulled two books from its high school’s libraries after complaints from the Northland Parent Association, who felt the books were inappropriate for students. The first book in question was “All Boys Aren’t Blue,” which is a series of personal

Biden Faces Inflation, Low Approval Ahead of Thanksgiving

By Stephen Collinson, When a president has to assure Americans there’ll be enough turkey for Thanksgiving, it’s a sure sign of national malaise. That was the case Tuesday as the holiday season begins with citizens, already wearied by the worst public health crisis in 100 years, now punished by rising prices, the painfully high cost of gasoline and fears that winter’s arrival could mean another spike in Covid-19 cases. President Joe Biden’s transformational agenda is designed to reorient the economy toward working people. But American wallets and morale are hurting now, so its complex programs, which may take months or years to deliver relief, won’t lighten

Controversial Roosevelt Statue Moves to ND Library in 2026

By Laura Studley, A controversial statue of US President Theodore Roosevelt in front of the American Museum of Natural History in New York City has found a new home in Medora, North Dakota, the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation announced in a statement. The statue will be on long-term loan to the newly announced Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library opening in Medora in 2026, according to the Friday statement. In June, the New York City Public Design Commission unanimously voted to remove and temporarily store the statue after years of debate. The statue’s removal is subject to final approval by the Design Commission and

Malcolm X’s Daughter Malikah Shabazz Dies at Age 56

By Joe Sutton, A daughter of slain Black civil rights activist Malcolm X, Malikah Shabazz, died Monday, the New York Police Department told CNN. Shabazz, 56, was found unconscious by her daughter at her home in Brooklyn, according to the NYPD. Police said the death appears to be due to natural causes at this time. Bernice King, a daughter of the late Martin Luther King Jr., offered her condolences. “I’m deeply saddened by the death of #MalikahShabazz. My heart goes out to her family, the descendants of Dr. Betty Shabazz and Malcolm X. Dr. Shabazz was pregnant with Malikah and her

Prosecution Rebuts Defense in Ahmaud Arbery Murder Trial

By Alta Spells, Devon M. Sayers and Travis Caldwell, Prosecutors will begin court proceedings Tuesday in the trial over the killing of Ahmaud Arbery with a rebuttal to closing arguments made by the defense, which some legal experts felt were racially insensitive and led to Arbery’s mother excusing herself from the courtroom. Lead prosecutor Linda Dunikoski will commence with remarks Tuesday morning and is expected to drive the theme that the case against the defendants is about “assumptions and driveway decisions.” All three defendants made decisions to attack Arbery “because he was a Black man running down the street,” Dunikoski said Monday. Travis McMichael,

White House: 95% of Federal Workforce Meets Vaccine Mandate

By Arlette Saenz and Kate Sullivan, The White House on Monday announced that 95% of the federal workforce is in compliance with the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate. “Ahead of tonight’s deadline, the federal government has achieved 95% compliance, and 90% of the 3.5 million federal workers are already vaccinated,” White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Jeff Zients said during a press briefing, confirming previous CNN reporting. “We are successfully implementing vaccination requirements for the largest work force in the United States with federal employees in every part of the nation and around the world.” CNN reported earlier Monday that over 90%

Winsome Sears Questions Broadband Impact in Rural Virginia

By Chandelis Duster, Winsome Sears, Virginia’s lieutenant governor-elect, expressed the importance of rural broadband access and her concerns over how funds allocated for broadband access in the newly signed infrastructure law would help Virginians, especially in the southwestern part of the state. “Well, it depends on what else comes with it. … Do we know what’s really in it and do we have to pass it before we can know what’s in it?,” Sears told CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union” when asked if the infrastructure package is good for Virginians. “Now broadband is very important to me, because our

Disney Parks Feature Black Santa Claus for First Time

By Natasha Chen, Without an official announcement or fanfare, US Disney parks are including a Black Santa Claus in Christmas celebrations this year for the first time in the company’s 66-year theme park history. At both Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, and Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, a Black Santa has been spotted at certain meet-and-greets and at after-hours Christmas parties. A Disney spokesperson told CNN that Santa Claus is represented in various ways in local and regional communities and around the world — and in that spirit, Santa Claus will reflect the diversity of surrounding

Rittenhouse Verdict Sparks National Political Firestorm

By Stephen Collinson, Three days after his acquittal in a polarizing case in Wisconsin, Kyle Rittenhouse is now a teenaged avatar for a nation divided over the nature of justice, the societal role of guns and violence in political discourse. The sight of Rittenhouse, 18, walking free on Friday after shooting dead two men and wounding another last year in unrest sparked by the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, also opened a fresh debate over state laws on self-defense and the concept of vigilantism. The case’s political reverberations are already rocking a tense political environment ahead of 2022 elections and even the 2024 presidential

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