Updated Thursday, June 25, 2015, 11:01 a.m. EDT: The entertainment division of Univision Communications Inc. has announced that it is severing ties with the Miss Universe Organization, which is part-owned by Donald J. Trump, after recent reports of Trump’s disparaging remarks toward Mexicans. “At Univision, we see first-hand the work ethic, love for family, strong…

Virginia took another step toward restoring voting rights to felons who have been released from prison. Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe announced on June 23 that the state will no longer require these ex-prisoners to pay outstanding court fees before they can vote again, the Daily Press reports. He explained that they are still required to…

The prayers for 4-year-old Leah Still have apparently been answered. In May, football player Devon Still had asked his social media following to pray for his daughter’s recovery after a setback in her cancer treatment. Leah’s condition has improved since then, and her doctors have released her from the hospital, CBS News reports. Devon Still shared…

Nation of Islam Western Regional Minister Tony Muhammad warns members of the California Legislative Black Caucus of a political backlash from their community if they support a bill that would mandate childhood vaccinations, according to the Los Angeles Times. Voting in favor of the bill, which may come up in the Assembly on Thursday, would…

Missouri state Rep. Chuck Basye (R-Rocheport) faces a storm of criticism for participating in a ceremony last weekend that honored Confederate soldiers, the Columbia Daily Tribune reports. The group dedicated a gravestone to five guerrilla fighters who are buried on his family’s land. What angered many is that some of ceremony participants saluted the Confederate…

Brownsville, Tenn., police officers snatched Elbert Williams from his home in the middle of the night on June 20, 1940. His body was found—beaten and with bullet wounds—three days later in the Hatchie River. The authorities, without investigating his murder, had him buried in an unmarked grave, according to the committee organized to establish his…

Russell Simmons reportedly used some colorful language on a radio show June 18 to describe New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. According to Capital New York, the hip-hop mogul and activist called de Blasio a “bitch” for failing to stand up to the city’s police commissioner, William Bratton, and governor, Andrew Cuomo, over criminal…

North Carolina lawmakers passed legislation June 18 that would allow voters without photo identification to cast provisional ballots, the News & Observer reports. The General Assembly sent the measure to Gov. Pat McCrory for his signature. The proposed change would allow voters to declare a “reasonable impediment” to explain not having a photo ID. It…

The Rev. Ben Scott, president of the Topeka, Kan., chapter of the NAACP, says that his organization is concerned about Ku Klux Klan activity in the city, the Topeka Capital-Journal reports. That concern stems from the news that residents in several neighborhoods woke up June 15 to find fliers on their property, apparently from the…

Racial profiling is a concern beyond our northern border. To address the issue, Community Safety Minister Yasir Naqvi announced June 16 that the province of Ontario will standardize its controversial carding policy, the Canadian Broadcast Corp. reports. The safety minister said that in too many cases, police conduct identity checks without having probable cause. He…