news
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Baltimore County Police Fatally Shoot Unarmed Black Man
Baltimore County police fatally shot an unarmed black man after they were called to an Owings Mill, Md., home while responding to a domestic dispute. According to the Associated Press, Spencer Lee McCain, 41, was in a “defensive stance” when he was shot by police around 1 a.m. on Thursday, according to the police. Baltimore County…
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Supreme Court Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage Nationwide
Same-sex couples can get married in all 50 states after a historic Supreme Court ruling on Friday struck down state bans, according to NPR. Gay marriage was already legal in 37 states and the District of Columbia, but now the narrow 5-4 ruling means that the remaining 13 states must stop refusing to marry same-sex…
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DC Mayor Warns of Expense of Releasing Police Body-Camera Videos
As Washington, D.C., attempts to introduce body cameras to half its police force this year, Mayor Muriel Bowser has been pointing to the financial burden it could place on the city’s budget if footage is released to the public, the Washington Post reports. According to the report, Bowser told members of the City Council Tuesday…
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Emanuel AME Pastor Clementa Pinckney to Be Laid to Rest
The life of South Carolina state Sen. Clementa Pinckney will be celebrated Friday morning, with President Barack Obama delivering the eulogy for the Democrat, who was also pastor of the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston. The Root will be live-streaming the event, which will begin at 11 a.m. at the TD Arena at…
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Black Pastors Vow Acts of Civil Disobedience if Supreme Court Approves Same-Sex Marriage
Updated Friday, June 26, 11:40 a.m. EDT: The Supreme Court has ruled that same-sex marriage is legal in the United States. The ruling effectively ends the ban on same-sex marriage that was still in effect in some 13 states. Earlier: As the U.S. Supreme Court readied to announce its decision on same-sex marriage, a group of black clergy vowed to push…
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Farrakhan Announces a Sequel to the Million Man March 20 Years Later
Two decades ago, scores of black men gathered in the nation’s capital to pledge support to family and community. Some of the leaders of that original rally are planning another march—one that will include black women this time. Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan announced on June 24 that he plans to hold a Millions…
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Internal Investigation Clears Colo. Officer in Videotaped Traffic Stop
A police investigation has concluded that a Colorado Springs, Colo., officer acted properly when he pulled a black man from his car. The police sent a letter (pdf) notifying Ryan Brown that the officer is cleared of wrongdoing, despite what’s shown in the video of the encounter. The American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado said the letter fails to…
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Judge Dismisses Torture Charge for Parents of Detroit Boy Found in Basement but Leaves Abuse Charge
A father and stepmother accused of torturing and abusing their 12-year-old son in Detroit have escaped the most serious charge of torture after a district judge threw it out, the Detroit Free Press reports. That charge would have had the father, Charlie Bothuell IV, and stepmother, Monique Dillard-Bothuell, facing the possibility of punishment as severe as life in prison.…
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Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Obamacare
In a 6-3 ruling, the Supreme Court voted today to uphold the Affordable Care Act’s (commonly referred to as Obamacare) premium subsidies, staving off for the second time in three years attempts by opponents of the health care act to have it abolished. According to ABC News, “The nation’s highest court ruled that critics’ reading…
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Fire at Black Church in NC Ruled Arson
Fire officials have determined that a fire that swept through a primarily black church in Charlotte, N.C., early Wednesday was no accident, Reuters reports. The blaze is estimated to have caused more than $250,000 worth of damage at the Briar Creek Baptist Church, according to the Charlotte Fire Department. “We completed our work on the…