karen bass
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White House to Host George Floyd's Family on Anniversary of His Death, but Will Miss Floyd Police Reform Bill Deadline
This Tuesday will mark the one-year anniversary of George Floyd’s death. Two things were supposed to happen on or by that date: Floyd’s family was to be hosted at the White House, and a federal police reform bill named for Floyd was supposed to be on President Joe Biden’s desk. Unfortunately, it looks like only…
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Rep. Jim Clyburn Is Out of His Goddamn Mind If He Really Thinks Qualified Immunity Doesn’t Have to Be Part of Policing Reform Bill
Rep. Jim Clyburn is a political juggernaut. He is a kingmaker. He is a South Carolina god. But Jim Clyburn is out of his goddamn mind if he truly believes that qualified immunity—the legal doctrine that protects officers from being sued—doesn’t need to be part of policing reform legislation, . “I will never sacrifice good…
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Menthol Cigarettes Were Aggressively Marketed to Black People. Now Congress Is Looking to Ban Them
Kool cigarettes have undergone more makeovers than the Kardashians. Initially, they used a cartoon penguin named “Willie,” who was a chef, a soldier and a doctor. Then, in the 1960s, they kicked Willie out into the cold and tried using a country frost approach that included images of water and snow. Then in the 1970s…
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House Passes George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, Republicans Predictably Reject Proposed Reforms
On Wednesday, the House passed a comprehensive police reform bill named in honor of George Floyd, the 46-year-old Black man whose brutal death after being restrained under the knee of a Minneapolis cop helped spur a nationwide movement against racism and unjust police practices in 2o2o. In a clear indication of where the two major…
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Rumored VP Candidate Rep. Karen Bass Explains Video of Her Praising Church of Scientology, Denounces Fidel Castro
Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.) is doing plenty of walking back this weekend after increased media scrutiny into her past statements, amid reports that she is one of a few Black women under consideration for Joe Biden’s running mate position. On Saturday, the Congresswoman responded to a video recently unearthed by The Daily Caller which shows…
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Honoring a Nation’s ‘Conscience’: How Will Lawmakers Pay Tribute to Rep. John Lewis’ Legacy?
It is hard to sum up civil rights icon and longtime congressman John Lewis’ legacy—much less find suitable ways of honoring it. But as the country grapples with losing one of its most esteemed public servants, ideas have poured forth on how to properly pay tribute to the life and deeds of a man frequently…
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Congressional Black Caucus PAC Unanimously Endorses Joe Biden for President [Corrected]
Members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) have been lining up behind former Vice President Joe Biden for months. Biden has all but claimed the Democratic nomination for president, and the CBC PAC has now officially unanimously endorsed him for president. The Associated Press reports that the CBC PAC endorsed Biden on Monday in a…
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Nipsey Hussle to be Honored on House Floor Next Week by Rep. Karen Bass
Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.), a Los Angeles native, wants to make sure Nipsey Hussle’s legacy lives on and his contributions to the community are recognized. To that end, she plans to honor the slain rapper on the House floor next week. In a tweet sent out Wednesday evening, Bass wrote “I will be heading to…
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Libyan Slavery Is Wrong, and It’s Partly America’s Fault. So Why Aren’t We Doing More About It?
In November, CNN broke a story about modern-day slavery in Libya that went viral. Grainy video showed men and women being beaten and being sold for less than the cost of a smartphone. There were no happy endings, no 12 Years a Slave escapes; thousands of people seeking refugee and asylum were being put in…