National News - Page 177

Philadelphia Bans Minor Traffic Stops to Curb Racial Bias

By Evan Simko-Bednarski, Maya Brown and Emma Tucker, A Philadelphia law banning traffic stops for minor violations is set to go into effect early next year after the city’s mayor gave final approval Wednesday. The law, which passed Philadelphia’s city council last month by a 14-2 vote and has the support of the city’s police department, designates seven low-level violations for which traffic stops are prohibited, including bumper issues, minor obstructions, broken lights and a license plate that is not visible or clearly displayed. “This legislation establishes Philadelphia as the 1st large U.S. city to ban minor traffic stops with the goal

Ahmaud Arbery Jury Picked: Just One Black Juror Selected

By Devon M. Sayers, Alta Spells and Christina Maxouris, After a long and contentious jury selection process in a coastal Georgia county in preparation for the trial for Ahmaud Arbery’s killing, a panel of 12 people was chosen Wednesday — consisting of one Black member and 11 White members. The jury was selected after a two-and-a-half-week selection process that ended with prosecutors for the state accusing defense attorneys of disproportionately striking qualified Black jurors and basing some of their strikes on race. Judge Timothy Walmsley said the defense appeared to be discriminatory in selecting the jury but that the case could go forward. “This court has

Georgia Voting Law Impact Felt in Atlanta Mayoral Election

By Fredreka Schouten, When Patricia Dossie left her senior housing apartment west of downtown Atlanta to vote on Tuesday, she was certain of her destination: a recreation center about 6 miles away. “I’ve been voting there for years,” the 73-year-old said. But she and two of her neighbors found they were no longer on the voting list at that precinct. And because Georgia’s new election law bars most voters from casting ballots outside their home polling places, the elderly trio made yet another trek — this time, to the right polling place, at a small neighborhood library, to vote in

Supreme Court Signals Shift on New York Gun Carry Law

By Ariane de Vogue, The Supreme Court seemed ready to expand Second Amendment rights after hearing arguments for over two hours and expressing skepticism about a New York law that restricts individuals from carrying concealed handguns outside the home for self-defense. Chief Justice John Roberts at one point pressed New York’s solicitor general about the breadth of the law that requires an individual to show “proper cause” before obtaining such a license in locations typically open to the general public, even in rural areas. “How many muggings take place in a forest?” Roberts asked. And President Donald Trump’s three appointees, Justice Neil

Minneapolis Voters Reject Police Reform Ballot Measure

By Gregory Krieg, Omar Jimenez and Peter Nickeas, Voters in the city rejected a ballot measure to overhaul policing drafted amid the national fury over George Floyd’s murder by a police officer but that went to voters as rising concerns about gun violence drained energy from the protest movement that had launched it. CNN on Tuesday projected that Minneapolis Question 2 had failed, effectively ending a push to give the city council oversight of a new Department of Public Safety and done away with a requirement to employ a minimum number of police officers tied to the city’s population. The status quo-affirming

Rev. Jesse Jackson Hospitalized After Fall at Howard University

By Christina Carrega, Joe Sutton and Susannah Cullinane, Civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson was hospitalized after falling and hitting his head while attending a meeting at Howard University in Washington, DC, Monday, according to his Rainbow PUSH Coalition. Jackson was on campus for a meeting with Howard University Pres. Wayne A.I. Frederick and students to address the students’ concerns about living conditions in their residential halls when he was injured, a statement from the coalition said. “When Rev. Jackson entered a building on campus, he fell and hit his head. His staff took him to the Howard University Hospital

6 NYC Firefighters Suspended Over Vaccine Mandate Protest

By Laura Studley, Artemis Moshtaghian and Susannah Cullinane, Six New York firefighters were suspended for four weeks without pay Friday following an incident between on-duty firefighters and an elected official’s staff, according to a statement from a New York City Fire Department (NYFD) spokesperson. The firefighters drove a fire engine to New York state Senator Zellnor Myrie’s office in Brooklyn in protest of the city’s Covid-19 vaccine mandate, a spokesperson for the senator’s office told CNN Sunday. Members of the fire department, the New York Police Department and other city workers were required to show proof they’ve received at least one

NAACP Urges Athletes to Boycott Texas Over New Laws

By Ben Church, The NAACP sent an open letter to five players’ unions on Thursday, urging their athletes not to sign with teams in Texas. “Over the past few months, legislators in Texas have passed archaic policies, disguised as laws, that directly violate privacy rights and a woman’s freedom to choose, restrict access to free and fair elections for Black and Brown voters, and increase the risk of contracting coronavirus,” the two-page letter signed by NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson and NAACP Texas President Gary Bledsoe reads. The letter was addressed to the NFL Players Association, the Women’s National Basketball Players

CDC Nears Approval of Pfizer Covid Vaccine for Kids 5–11

By Jen Christensen, Millions of child-size doses of Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine are being shipped from the company’s facilities to distribution centers across the country — ready to go out to pharmacies and pediatricians’ offices, the Biden administration said Monday. They’re just waiting for the OK from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, whose independent advisers will vote Tuesday on whether to recommend Covid-19 vaccines for 5- to 11-year-olds. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the independent group of experts who advise the CDC, meet to take this second-to-last regulatory step before the final decision goes to CDC Director Dr.

White Man Wins $10M Lawsuit Over Diversity-Based Firing

By Rebekah Riess, A White man has been awarded a $10 million payout in a wrongful termination lawsuit filed against his former employer, which he said fired him and replaced him with a White woman and a Black woman as part of a push for diversity, according to court documents. Plaintiff David Duvall was hired as senior vice president of marketing and communications by Novant Health Inc., a North Carolina-based not-for-profit health system with 15 medical centers and more than 1,800 physicians, on August 5, 2013, according to the complaint. He was fired “without prior warning” on July 30, 2018, and

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