news
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7-Year-Old Creates Afro-Puff Superhero Comic Book and Wins Big
The odds were stacked against Moxie Girl, but she had already saved the Jacksonville Public Libraries from a wild group of hungry monsters, so beating out 530 entries to win more than $16,000 for her creator would be easy, right? Well, that’s what happened after 7-year-old Natalie McGriff took her creation, The Adventures of Moxie…
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Mich. Man Hangs Nooses From Trees Outside His Home and Business, Doesn’t Think It’s Racist
A Michigan man has the Confederate flag and nooses hanging from trees in the yards of his home and business and doesn’t think it’s a problem. He has no plans to take any of them down, and one of his business workers told news station WXYZ, “We’re gonna put more up.” Robert Tomanovich’s Livonia neighbors…
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Okla. Volunteer Deputy Comes Under Fire From Victim’s Attorney
Former Tulsa, Okla., Reserve Deputy Robert C. Bates was not certified to use the .357 Magnum revolver involved in the shooting death of Eric Harris, an unarmed black man. Furthermore, that personal weapon was not on the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office list of approved weapons, the lawyer for Harris’ family said, according to the Associated…
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Prosecutors: Alleged Atlanta-Area Serial Killer Driven by the Thrill
Prosecutors argue in a court filing that a “bloodlust” compelled Aeman Presley to commit a series of murders in the Atlanta area, the Associated Press reports. Presley, 34, appeared in a DeKalb County courtroom Monday. He’s accused of killing three homeless men and a female hairdresser. Prosecutors in DeKalb and Fulton counties want the death…
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Michael Brown Memorial Tree Cut Down 24 Hours After It’s Planted
A tree planted in memory of Michael Brown, the unarmed Ferguson, Mo., teen who was shot and killed by then-Police Officer Darren Wilson, was chopped down at the trunk and the concrete plaque was stolen. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, two trees were planted in Wabash Park in Ferguson on Saturday. One of the…
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Reserve Deputy Who Killed Eric Harris Pleads Not Guilty, Is Allowed to Take Vacation in Bahamas
Robert Bates put in a not-guilty plea on Tuesday in response to a second-degree-manslaughter charge, holding fast to his claim that he mistook his gun for his Taser when he killed Eric Harris in a sting operation, NBC News reports. Bates has a hearing scheduled for July 2, but in the meantime, the judge is…
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Loretta Lynch Confirmation Block Lifted as Senate Deal Is Announced
Loretta Lynch, President Barack Obama’s pick to succeed Attorney General Eric Holder, will get a confirmation vote in the coming days. The Senate announced a deal Tuesday on the anti-human-trafficking bill that sparked the stalemate, the Washington Post reports. “I’m glad we can now say there is a bipartisan proposal that will allow us to…
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Chicago Couple Sentenced to Prison in Bali Murder
The Chicago couple accused in the slaying of Sheila von Wiese-Mack have been found guilty of premeditated murder in an Indonesian court, the Associated Press reports. Tommy Schaefer, 21, was sentenced to 18 years in prison, while Heather Mack, 19, von Wiese-Mack’s daughter, was sentenced to 10 years for the murder, which took place during…
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6 Baltimore Cops Suspended After Autopsy Shows Man Suffered Broken Spine
Freddie Gray, 25, died from severe spinal injuries while in the custody of Baltimore police, and now city officials have announced that six officers have been suspended with pay while the city conducts an investigation into a case that has a number of residents, including the mayor, searching for answers. “This is a very, very…
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Mo. Officers and City Officials Resign After Black Female Mayor Is Elected
There were only six police officers in Parma, Mo., and after the small town voted in its first African-American female mayor, five of them resigned. According to KFVS, Tyrus Byrd beat incumbent Randall Ramsey, who had served as mayor for some 37 years, by 37 votes. After the election, in addition to the police officers,…