Three former Memphis police officers were acquitted on May 7 of all state charges, including second-degree murder, in the 2023 beating death of Tyre Nichols, a case that sparked national outrage and calls for police reform. Despite the verdict, the officers still face sentencing on federal charges, while civil rights advocates condemned the acquittals as a miscarriage of justice.
Tag: The Associated Press
Posted inWashington D.C. News
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser agrees to remove Black Lives Matter mural in nation’s capitalÂ
Washington, D.C. leaders will remove the “Black Lives Matter” mural near the White House to avoid funding cuts threatened by White House leadership, after Mayor Muriel Bowser struggled to fend off threats of encroachment from both President Donald Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress.
Posted inAfro Briefs
Robert Clark, Mississippi’s first Black lawmaker after Civil Rights era, dies at 96
Robert G. Clark, who became the first Black legislator in Mississippi since Reconstruction, died at age 96, having served as chairman of both the House Ethics Committee and the Education Committee, and as speaker pro tempore from 1992-2004.
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Lester Holt to step down as anchor of NBC’s flagship ‘Nightly News’ after a decade
NBC’s veteran anchor Lester Holt is stepping down from his position as anchor of “Nightly News” and will expand his work on “Dateline” as a full-time role, with no firm date or successor yet named.
Posted inNational News
White House launches attack on Fourth Estate, undermining freedom of press
The White House has announced that its officials will determine which news outlets can regularly cover President Donald Trump up close, a move that has been criticized by free speech advocates and has raised concerns about the independence of a free press in the United States.
Posted inNational News
Federal scholarship for underserved students at historically Black colleges suspended
The 1890 Scholars Program, a federal scholarship aimed at boosting students from underserved and rural areas attending historically Black colleges and universities, has been suspended pending further review.
Posted inHealth
‘Superwoman’ Towana Looney, the only person in the world with a functioning pig organ, is thriving after a record two months
Towana Looney, an Alabama woman, has become the longest living recipient of a pig organ transplant, with her new kidney functioning normally for 61 days and counting.
Posted inTechnology
Google Calendar users no longer see default entries for events like Pride, Black History Month
Google has removed default references for holidays and cultural events from its online calendar, citing scalability and sustainability concerns, while allowing users to manually add other important moments.
Posted inCivil Rights
The long struggle to establish Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is celebrated on the third Monday of January to honor the civil rights leader’s legacy of equality, justice, and non-violent protest, with millions of people participating in service projects and reflecting on his life and legacy.
Posted inUncategorized
Jimmy Carter, 39th US president, Nobel winner, dies at 100
Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States, died at the age of 100 after a lifetime of advocating for human rights and democracy, having been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his efforts.
Posted inNational News
Daughters of Malcolm X sue CIA, FBI and NYPD over the civil rights leader’s assassination
Three daughters of Malcolm X have filed a $100 million lawsuit against the CIA, FBI, NYPD, and others, alleging their involvement in the 1965 assassination of the civil rights leader and their failure to prevent the killing.
Posted inHealth
Don’t wait for a holiday surge, now is a good time to get your flu and COVID-19 vaccines
The CDC recommends that everyone ages 6 months and older receive an updated COVID-19 shot and yearly flu vaccine to protect against the winter surge of the coronavirus and flu, as well as RSV, and encourages the use of the nasal spray FluMist for those who are averse to shots.