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Va. lawmakers again decline to put restrictions on personal use of campaign accounts
Virginia lawmakers on Wednesday defeated for another year campaign finance reform legislation that would have prohibited elected officials from spending political donations on personal expenses such as mortgages, vacations or gym memberships.
Authorities search Diddy’s properties as part of a sex trafficking probe
In the first nine months of 2023, Sean “Diddy” Combs triumphantly performed at the MTV VMAs, released an R&B album that garnered a Grammy nomination and was a suitor to buy the BET network. But several lawsuits filed late last year raised allegations of sexual assault and rape against Mr. Combs — one of hip-hop’s most recognizable names as a performer and producer.
Biden administration says colleges must fight ‘alarming rise’ in antisemitism and Islamophobia
The Biden administration is warning U.S. schools and colleges that they must take immediate action to stop antisemitism and Islamophobia on their campuses, citing an “alarming rise” in threats and harassment.
Baltimore bridge collapse
Port closure sends companies scrambling to reroute cargo
The stunning collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge is diverting shipping and trucking around one of the busiest ports on America’s East Coast, creating delays and raising costs in the latest disruption to global supply chains.
Students turn to TikTok to fill gaps in school lessons
Mecca Patterson-Guridy wants to learn, but for some subjects, she isn’t always comfortable asking her teachers. So she has been turning to TikTok.
New book asks: What if Harry Potter attended an HBCU?
It all began with a post on Twitter. It was 2020 during the height of the pandemic and LaDarrion Williams was thinking about the lack of diversity in the fantasy genre. He proposed: “What if Harry Potter went to an HBCU in the South?”
Criminal charges filed in Michigan water crisis
The Flint water crisis became a criminal case Wednesday when two state regulators and a city employee were charged with official misconduct, evidence tampering and other offenses over the lead contamination that alarmed the country and brought cries of racism.
Church headed by controversial pastor burns
Tampa firefighters battled a blaze at a church led by controversial pastor Dr. Henry J. Lyons, former head of the 7.5 million-member National Baptist Convention.
Norman Lear, producer of top TV sitcoms, dies at 101
Norman Lear, the writer, director and producer who revolutionized primetime television with “All in the Family,” “The Jeffersons” and “Maude,” propelling political and social turmoil into the once-insulated world of TV sitcoms, has died. He was 101.
A box office KO: ‘Creed III’ debuts to $58.7M
“Creed III” punched above its weight at the domestic box office in its first weekend in theaters.
Howard U. picks African diaspora scholar as next president
Howard University is turning to an experienced scholar of the African diaspora to serve as its new university president.
Here’s how Tim Scott, the top Black Republican in the GOP presidential primary, discusses race
Tim Scott seldom specifically brings up race in Iowa. Nor does the Republican presidential candidate have to.
Henry Kissinger’s complicated legacy draws admiration, scorn
The death of former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger drew both admiration and scorn last Thursday from political leaders around the world, highlighting the complicated legacy of Mr. Kissinger’s views about what it meant to serve America’s interests during the Cold War — and how the country should exert its influence.
USDA updates rules for school meals that limit sugars
The nation’s school meals will get a makeover under new nutrition standards that limit added sugars for the first time, the U.S. Department of Agriculture an- nounced Wednesday. The final rule also trims sodium in students’ meals, although not by the 30% first proposed in 2023. And it con- tinues to allow flavored milks — such as chocolate milk — with less sugar, rather than adopting an option that would have offered only unflavored milk to the youngest kids. The aim is to improve nutrition and align with U.S. dietary guidelines in the program that provides breakfasts to more than 15 million students and lunches to nearly 30 million students every day at a cost of about $22.6 billion per year. “All of this is designed to ensure that students have quality meals and that we meet parents’ expectations,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told reporters. The limits on added sugars would be required in the 2025-2026 school year, starting with high-sugar foods such as cereal, yogurt and flavored milk. By the fall of 2027, added sugars in school meals would be limited to no more than 10% of the total calories per week for breakfasts and lunches, in addition to limits on sugar in specific products. New WIC rules include more money for fruits and veggies. They also expand food choices Officials had proposed to reduce sodium in school meals by as much as 30% over the next several years. But after receiving mixed public comments and a directive from Congress included in the fiscal year 2024 appropriations bill approved in March, the agency will reduce sodium levels allowed in breakfasts by 10% and in lunches by 15% by the 2027-2028 school year.
50 Cent out of dollars?
Rapper and actor 50 Cent filed for federal bankruptcy protection Monday, days after a jury ordered him to pay $5 million in an invasion-of-privacy lawsuit.
Cities face crisis as fewer kids enroll and schools shrink
On a recent morning inside Chalmers School of Excellence on Chicago’s West Side, five preschool and kindergarten students finished up drawings. Four staffers, including a teacher and a tutor, chatted with them about colors and shapes. The summer program offers the kind of one-on-one support parents love. But behind the scenes, Principal Romian Crockett worries the school is becoming precariously small.
Six key points from the scathing report on Minneapolis Police after George Floyd’s killing
The Justice Department on June 16 issued a scathing assessment of Minneapolis Police, alleging that racial discrimination and excessive force went unchecked before George Floyd’s killing because of inadequate oversight and an unwieldy process for investigating complaints.
Recovery and reflection
Hawaii works to identify wildfire’s 107 dead
Hawaii Hawaii officials worked painstakingly to identify the 107 people confirmed killed in wildfires that ravaged Maui and expected to release the first names Tuesday, even as teams intensified the search for more dead in neighborhoods reduced to ash.
Plans unveiled for Obama Presidential Center
Former President Obama unveiled plans for his future presidential center, painting a picture of a buzzing hub for youth and community programs on the South Side of Chicago where he raised his family and launched his political career. The former chief executive fielded questions from residents at a May 3 forum near the site on the shores of Lake Michigan, delving into nitty-gritty details of traffic patterns, green space and job creation, while avoiding any mention of his successor in the White House.
Catholic dioceses release list of 58 clergy accused of sexually abusing children
Virginia’s two Roman Catholic dioceses on Wednesday published lists of 58 priests credibly accused of sexually abusing minors, joining other dioceses around the country in answering calls to make public the names of abusive clergy.
