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Loudoun Schools Clash Over Transgender Policy, CRT Debate

By Nicquel Terry Ellis and Boris Sanchez A Virginia school district is under fire after chaos erupted during public comment at a school board meeting earlier this week over a proposed transgender policy and claims that critical race theory is being taught in the classroom. The turmoil ended with one person being arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest and another was cited for trespassing. The Loudoun County Public Schools meeting, which included an agenda item to discuss a new transgender policy, attracted a large crowd of parents and community members who chanted “shame on you” and protested throughout the

George Floyd Statue Vandalized in Brooklyn, NY Investigated

By Mark Morales A statue of George Floyd that was unveiled in New York on Juneteenth by Floyd’s brother was vandalized early Thursday morning and police are investigating the incident as a hate crime, a law enforcement official told CNN. Black spray paint was daubed on the face of the statue and over the inscription on the base. “PATRIOTFRONT.US,” was stenciled with white spray paint on the pedestal, the New York Police Department said. Patriot Front is a “white nationalist hate group,” according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. The six-foot statue is on display on Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn for several weeks before it

Derek Chauvin Sentencing Set for George Floyd Murder Case

By Eric Levenson Derek Chauvin, the former police officer who killed George Floyd on a Minneapolis street last year, is set to be sentenced Friday to a potentially lengthy prison stay. Chauvin, 45, was convicted in April on charges of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for his role in Floyd’s death. Prosecutors for the state of Minnesota requested a 30-year prison sentence, saying it “would properly account for the profound impact of Defendant’s conduct on the victim, the victim’s family, and the community,” according to a sentencing memo. Chauvin’s defense attorney, Eric Nelson, argued that the former officer should instead receive probation

Surfside Condo Collapse: 12-Story Building Crumbles in Florida

By Jason Hanna and Leyla Santiago An intense search and rescue effort will continue through the night after part of a 12-story residential building collapsed early Thursday in the South Florida town of Surfside, killing at least one and leaving almost 100 people unaccounted for. About 55 of the 136 units at Champlain Towers South collapsed around 1:30 a.m., officials said, leaving huge piles of rubble on the ground and materials dangling from what remained of the structure in the beachfront community a few miles north of Miami Beach. At least 99 people were unaccounted for as of Thursday afternoon, according to Miami-Dade

Atlanta College Students Sue Over Tasing During Protests

By Mallika Kallingal, Devon Sayers and Jade Gordon Two college students who were forcibly removed from their car and tased by police during a civil rights protest in Atlanta last summer filed a federal lawsuit against the city Thursday, according to their attorneys. Taniyah Pilgrim and Messiah Young were in their vehicle in downtown Atlanta on May 30, 2020, when they were caught in traffic during the protests sparked by the death of George Floyd five days earlier. The lawsuit claims that while the students’ car was stopped due to heavy traffic, they were approached by six Atlanta Police Department officers and

Surfside Building Collapse in Florida Kills 1, Rescue Underway

By Jason Hanna, Leyla Santiago and Paul P. Murphy A multistory residential building partially collapsed early Thursday in the South Florida community of Surfside, killing at least one person and raising fears that others may be trapped under the rubble. The collapse happened around 2 a.m. ET. Video from the scene shows a side of the building — more than 10 stories tall — having fallen, with huge piles of rubble underneath and a large number of first responders. Rescuers assisted at least one person from the debris field, and helped others leave the standing portions of the building, sometimes

Civil Rights Groups Plan 2023 March for Voting Rights

By Nicquel Terry Ellis A group of civil rights organizations will host another March on Washington in August to demand that Congress pass sweeping voting rights legislation and that state lawmakers halt efforts to enact bills that restrict voting access. The announcement of the march comes one day after Senate Republicans blocked the For the People Act — a signature voting and election bill that Democrats had pitched to counter state-level efforts. Republicans denounced the bill as a partisan power grab and a federal overreach into state voting and election systems. The march, set for Aug. 28 with the theme “March On

Houston Methodist Terminates 150+ Over COVID Vaccine Mandate

By Keith Allen More than 150 Houston Methodist Hospital employees were officially out of a job Tuesday, 10 days after a judge dismissed a lawsuit against the hospital by employees who opposed a Covid-19 vaccine mandate as a condition of employment, a hospital spokesperson said. The 153 employees either resigned in the two-week suspension period that began June 8 or were terminated Tuesday, according to Gale Smith. Employees who complied with the mandatory vaccination policy during the suspension period returned to work the day after they became compliant, Smith told CNN in an email Tuesday night. Houston Methodist on March 31

Chicago’s Anti-Gun Outreach Tackles Rising Violence

By Omar Jimenez “I’m not saying I’m God or I can prevent anything from happening, but I know in my heart I did what I can at 1 or 2 in the morning to help put this guy in a safer environment.” That’s how Jervon Hicks describes his mission as an outreach worker and life coach on Chicago’s South Side. Growing up in the city, Hicks, 44, found himself behind bars multiple times for what he says was “guns and shooting.” Now, he’s trying to prevent his history from becoming someone else’s future. Hicks works with the anti-gun violence group Chicago

Pentagon to Remove Sexual Assault Cases from Commanders

By Oren Liebermann Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Tuesday announced he will recommend to President Joe Biden a change in the military justice system to take the prosecution of sexual assaults out of the hands of commanders. “We will work with Congress to amend the Uniform Code of Military Justice, removing the prosecution of sexual assaults and related crimes from the military chain of command,” Austin said in a statement. A Pentagon review panel submitted recommendations to Austin in the spring, including a recommendation that independent authorities decide whether to prosecute service members in sexual assault cases. If adopted, the change would

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