National News - Page 165

Vanessa Bryant Must Share Mental Health Records in Suit

By Stella Chan and Theresa Waldrop, Vanessa Bryant must turn over mental health records in her lawsuit regarding leaked photos of the helicopter crash that killed her husband, basketball legend Kobe Bryant, and others, a judge has ruled. Bryant’s lawsuit against Los Angeles County claims photos of the January 2020 crash site were shared by county fire and sheriff’s department employees in settings not relevant to the investigation, including in a bar. Bryant “has suffered (and continues to suffer) severe emotional distress” because of the leaks, the lawsuit alleges. Magistrate Judge Charles F. Eick ruled Bryant and her therapist must produce documents as far

Rev. Jesse Jackson Joins Arbery Trial to Support Family

By Nicquel Terry Ellis, The Rev. Jesse Jackson said he has a “moral obligation” to be in court during the trial of three White men charged with killing Ahmaud Arbery and will be present for the rest of the week and beyond. “I am (standing) by people who are in need, backs against the wall,” Jackson said. “It’s what we do. So we are going to keep sitting with this family. It is a priority focus of ours now.” Jackson’s remarks Monday came after defense attorney Kevin Gough attempted to have Jackson removed from court as the civil rights leader sat with

States Expand Covid Booster Access Ahead of FDA Approval

By Jacqueline Howard, Some states are not waiting. At least five so far, Arkansas, California, Colorado, New Mexico and West Virginia, have expanded eligibility for Covid-19 booster shots to everyone 18 and older, six months after their second dose, even though the US Food and Drug Administration hasn’t done so yet and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hasn’t given its recommendation. So far, the federal health agencies have only given the green light for Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna boosters to be administered to adults ages 65 and older or any adults at high risk of severe Covid-19 or who live or work in long-term care settings or

White House Defends Harris Amid Reports of Dysfunction

By Jasmine Wright and Kate Sullivan, The White House on Monday defended Vice President Kamala Harris as a “key partner” to President Joe Biden following CNN reporting that key West Wing aides are exasperated by what they see as entrenched dysfunction and lack of focus from Harris and her staff, while many in the vice president’s circle believe Harris is being sidelined. “The President selected the vice president because — to serve as his running mate — because he felt she was exactly the person he wanted to have by his side to govern the country,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki

Black Mental Health Struggles Resurface Amid Arbery Trial

By Ashley Vaughan, For many African Americans, the trial of Ahmaud Arbery’s accused killers churns up a chronic trauma: replayed footage of Black men killed by law enforcement (or those claiming to act on law enforcement’s behalf). While evidence and testimony from recent trials is distressing for most people, it is overwhelming for African Americans — and especially excruciating for Black men who see their very humanity reflected in each case. “Sometimes you are visualizing you,” said Paul Bashea Williams, lead clinician and owner of Hearts in Mind Counseling in Maryland’s Prince George and Montgomery counties. Ninety percent of his clients identify

Students Protest Racist Video in Quincy School Walkout

By Sahar Akbarzai, CNN Students at a Massachusetts high school held a walkout on Friday morning to protest a racist video made by a White student and to demand a change to the “culture of racism” in the school district, a top school official said. “We heard them today,” said Kevin W. Mulvey, who serves as the superintendent of Quincy Public Schools. Speaking to CNN, he described the walkout as a protest against “racism, hate speech, and injustice.” He acknowledged that beyond the recent video, students have made complaints in the past about racism within the school district, saying the

Lost WWII Purple Heart Returned to Veteran’s Sons in NJ

By David Williams, Jerry and Mal Deener had always wondered what their dad Harry did in the Army during World War II. The New Jersey brothers, now in their 70s, knew he drove a Jeep in Europe and was badly wounded in combat, but that’s about it. “We knew very little because he wouldn’t talk about it,” Jerry Deener told CNN. “He has a very big scar on his right side where he was hit.” Cpl. Harry Deener was awarded a Purple Heart but his sons didn’t know what happened to it after he died in 1986. On Wednesday, the Purple Heart

White House Defends VP Harris Amid Staff Infighting Reports

By Jasmine Wright, Jeremy Diamond and Arlette Saenz, The White House dove into damage control this week after reports of dysfunction and infighting in Vice President Kamala Harris’ office, with the administration trying to stop a drama-filled narrative from taking hold, according to five people who spoke to CNN about the dynamics within Harris’ office. Two people close to Harris’ team said some individuals inside the vice president’s office are frustrated with what they see as a dysfunctional operation that has been at times waylaid by internal conflict. Some of that ire is directed squarely at Harris’ chief of staff, Tina Flournoy, those people said. Another

Minnesota Teen Targeted in Racist Video Sparks Outrage

By Elizabeth Joseph and Artemis Moshtaghian, Police in Savage, Minnesota, are investigating a racist video shared widely on social media where a young girl is seen spewing hateful, racist slurs toward a Black high school student, encouraging her to take her own life. Nya Sigin, a Black student at Prior Lake High School, told CNN that she was “shocked” by the video, which she believes targets her. “I really couldn’t comprehend what I was listening to, it was really just a wave of different emotions. I was angry, I was disgusted, I was sad, I was confused,” the 14-year-old said,

DeSantis Pushes Anti-Vaccine Mandate Laws in Florida

By Steve Contorno, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has made fighting vaccine mandates a focal point of his Covid strategy. Turning that into law is now in the hands of Florida lawmakers, who return to the state capitol Monday for a special legislative session specifically targeted at the issue. If successful, Florida would become the first state to pass a law fining businesses and hospitals that comply with President Joe Biden’s push to get the country’s workforce inoculated. Florida is already one of 26 states taking the Biden administration to court over its private employer vaccine mandate. DeSantis has become one of the

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