National News - Page 83

Biden Supreme Court commission’s draft report details ‘profound’ disagreement over adding seats to bench

By Ariane de Vogue and Paul LeBlanc, A controversial commission set up by President Joe Biden to explore changes to the US Supreme Court concluded in a draft final report Monday that there was “profound” disagreement over whether to add more seats to the bench but suggested more consensus for term limits for the justices without taking a final position on the issue. The report — which was widely criticized before its release because it would not offer concrete recommendations to the President — spans hundreds of pages and also tackles issues such as the court’s emergency docket and the current state of confirmation

Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo, whose tenure included George Floyd’s murder, will retire in January

By Amir Vera, Carma Hassan and Michelle Watson Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo, whose tenure will be remembered for his handling of the George Floyd murder investigation, announced Monday that he will retire in mid-January. “After much personal reflection and thoughtful discussions with my family and Mayor Frey, I have made the decision that I will not be accepting a new term as chief of the Minneapolis Police Department,” Arradondo said. He was the city’s first Black police chief, appointed in 2017. Arradondo was chief when Floyd died while in police custody on May 25, 2020. Video of Floyd’s death ignited protests around the US

A Black job applicant is suing over hair discrimination, but the company says it was a misunderstanding

By Nicquel Terry Ellis and Cheri Mossburg, A Black job applicant suing an employer over hair discrimination is demanding an apology and policy change — but the company said it was a misunderstanding. Jeffrey Thornton filed a lawsuit this week against Encore Group, LLC, claiming the company denied him employment when he refused to cut his hair, which he wears in locs. Thornton’s complaint claims the San Diego office for the company violated the state’s CROWN Act, which prohibits employers from withholding employment based on discrimination against the protected applicant’s hairstyle. According to the lawsuit, when Thornton interviewed for the

Harris to mark Maternal Health Day of Action at White House summit

By Jasmine Wright and Jacqueline Howard, Vice President Kamala Harris will mark the White House’s first ever Maternal Health Day of Action on Tuesday when she hosts a summit with lawmakers, Cabinet secretaries and celebrities, a White House official said. At the summit, Harris will issue a nationwide call to action to the private and public sectors and announce a series of federal reports and guidance, among other things aimed at improving maternal health in the United States. The United States continues to have the highest maternal death rate of all developed countries, according to researchers. And Tuesday’s summit marks the administration’s latest

Virginia to begin removal process of Robert E. Lee statue pedestal in Richmond, governor says

By Amir Vera and Artemis Moshtaghian, The final piece of the Robert E. Lee statue in Richmond, Virginia, will be removed starting this week, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Sunday. The state reached a deal with the city to remove the 40-foot granite pedestal the Lee statue sat on for more than a century. The statue itself — one of the largest remaining historic Confederate statues in the US — was removed in September, about a year after Northam announced his intentions to remove it amid protests for racial justice. “This land is in the middle of Richmond, and Richmonders will determine the future of

Students are fed up with racist slurs and bullying. Now they’re walking out of class

By Nicole Chavez, Some Black students are being told they stink while others are being called monkeys by their White peers. The n-word has been written on the walls of school restrooms as other students are the targets of racist rants on social media. Students of color are facing racial slurs and bullying in and outside the classroom, and many who are fed up have been walking out of class, speaking at board meetings and even suing school districts. In Minnesota, a 14-year-old Black girl spoke in front of a crowd to condemn a video widely shared online that she said encouraged

US Army and FAA investigating military flyover of NFL game

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By Barbara Starr and Gregory Wallace, The US military and the Federal Aviation Administration are reviewing a flyover of an NFL game last month to determine if the military helicopters flew too low over civilians in violation of aviation regulations. A military inquiry is underway by the 101st Airborne Division to determine if members of its combat aviation brigade violated any FAA rules when they flew very low over Nashville’s Nissan Stadium during a game between the Tennessee Titans and the New Orleans Saints. “The 101st Airborne Division is conducting a commander’s inquiry into the flyover that occurred on November 14,” according

Pro Football Hall of Famer Claude Humphrey dies at 77

By Jacob Lev, Longtime Atlanta Falcons defensive end and Pro Football Hall of Famer Claude Humphrey has died at the age of 77. Humphrey passed away on Friday, the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced on Saturday. “The entire Pro Football Hall of Fame family mourns the passing of Claude Humphrey,” Pro Football Hall of Fame President Jim Porter said in a statement. “His humble spirit guided him on and off the field. Our thoughts and prayers are with Claude’s family during this difficult time. The Hall of Fame will forever guard his legacy. The Hall of Fame flag will

Biden administration shipping 9 million vaccine doses to Africa and another 2 million worldwide

By Arlette Saenz, White House coronavirus response coordinator Jeffrey Zients is set to announce the Biden administration is shipping 11 million vaccines doses abroad on Friday, with 9 million going to Africa and another 2 million to other countries around the world, according to remarks obtained by CNN. The move follows President Joe Biden’s announcement Thursday that the administration will send more than 200 million doses abroad in 100 days, accelerating delivery to high-risk countries. The Friday shipment brings the total number of US-provided doses sent to Africa to 100 million. “The President has been clear from the start: If we want to protect the

Black parents say movement to ban critical race theory is ruining their children’s education

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By Nicquel Terry Ellis and Eva McKend, When Danielle Atkinson’s daughter brought home a second-grade assignment that highlighted Christopher Columbus’s explorations, Atkinson said she began to notice inequities in the curriculum being taught in the school district. There were plenty of lessons about Columbus and other historic White figures, but the contributions of Black Americans were largely missing in the coursework at Royal Oak Public Schools in Michigan, she said. Atkinson and other Black and brown parents felt the students weren’t learning enough about the civil rights movement, the Harlem Renaissance, the desegregation of schools and the importance of Black

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