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‘New America’ prevails in U.S. Supreme Court’s historic decisions
Old America largely conceded to New America in the latest round of major U.S. Supreme Court decisions. New America is the coalition that came to power with President Obama in 2008 and gave him the winning majority. It’s a coalition of groups marginalized for most of U.S. history: African-Americans, Latinos, religious minorities, young people, gays, single mothers, working women and Americans who claim no religious affiliation.
Athlete power: ‘Shut up and play’ is tossed from the game
The sports world came to a halt last week as leagues postponed professional men’s and women’s basketball games, football practices, soccer matches, baseball games, hockey playoffs and tennis competitions as players protested the shooting of a Black man by police in Kenosha, Wis.
Metropolitan Opera makes history with first work by a Black composer
“We bend, we don’t break. We sway!” sings the chorus in the second act of Terence Blanchard’s “Fire Shut Up in My Bones.”
NYC reaches $4.1M settlement in fatal police shooting
New York City reached a settlement of more than $4 million with the family of an unarmed man fatally shot by a police officer in a darkened stairwell nearly two years ago, the attorney for the family said Tuesday.
Lt. Gov. Justin E. Fairfax launches campaign for governor
Lt. Gov. Justin E. Fairfax formally kicked off his campaign for governor last Saturday, a year after facing two allegations of sexual assault.
Serena Williams wins Auckland Classic; donates money to help bushfire victims
Former world No. 1 tennis star Serena Williams won the World Tennis Association’s Auckland Classic last Sunday — her first title since 2017 — and immediately donated her prize money to aid victims of Australia’s deadly bushfires.
Convicting R. Kelly
R&B superstar R. Kelly faces up to life in prison after being convicted Monday on the testimony and strength of Black women who would not let the justice system forget what happened
For years, decades even, allegations swirled that R&B superstar R. Kelly was abusing young women and girls, with seeming impunity.
David Lee gives behind the scenes look at brother Spike in new book
When David Lee was growing up in Brooklyn, his older brother would drag him out of the house whenever he got the urge to make a film.
Ousted president sues Liberty University over damaged reputation
Jerry Falwell Jr. has sued Liberty University, alleging the evangelical school founded by his late pastor father damaged his reputation in a series of public statements that followed his resignation as president and chancellor in August amid a series of scandals.
Henrietta Lacks estate sues company using her ‘stolen’ cells
COLLEGE PARK, Md. The estate of Henrietta Lacks sued a biotechnology company on Monday, accusing it of sell- ing cells that doctors at Johns Hopkins Hospital took from the Black woman in 1951 without her knowledge or consent as part of “a racially unjust medical system.”
President Obama inspires Class of 2020, adroitly criticizes current leaders for mishandling pandemic crisis
Hours after former President Obama delivered two measured and inspiring na- tional commencement speeches to the Class of 2020 college and high school graduates last Saturday, social media lit up with comments of “Great speech, Mr. Obama. We miss you!” and “That’s what a president should be like. November 2020 can’t get here soon enough.”
Class of 2020 has hope in President Obama
Could Barack Obama deliver a national graduation address to students? Stay tuned.
Nice guy Russell Wilson helps teammate make $100,000 bonus
The Seattle Seahawks had the lead and the ball with less than 30 seconds left on the clock Sunday, Jan. 3. All they had to do was take a knee to lock up a 26-23 victory against the San Francisco 49ers.
tear those
A monument to a deadly white supremacist uprising in 1874 was removed under cover of darkness by workers in masks and bulletproof vests Monday as New Orleans joined the movement to take down symbols of the Confederacy and the Jim Crow South.
Good preaching attracts congregants
Top-notch preaching most attracts people looking for a new place to pray. That’s the conclusion of a new Pew Research Center study released Tuesday that asked 5,000 people about their search for a new church or other house of worship.
Trump rejects invitation to speak at NAACP convention
The NAACP says Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has declined an invitation to address the group’s upcoming convention, flouting established precedent and highlighting anew the GOP standard-bearer’s struggle to attract support from non-white voters.
High school coach portrayed in ‘Remember the Titans’ dies
Obituaries
With his health declining, Herman Boone was still mapping out football strategy as if he were about to walk the sidelines one more time.
Dr. William E. ‘Bill’ Ward, former mayor of Chesapeake, NSU professor dies at 84
Dr. William E. “Bill” Ward, the first African-American mayor of Chesapeake and the only official to serve the longest in that role, has died.
Kings Dominion changes name of roller coaster
Kings Dominion amusement park is changing the name of a roller coaster named after the war whoop of a Confederate soldier.
‘Y&R’ actor Kristoff St. John dies at 52
Kristoff St. John, who played the struggling alcoholic and ladies’ man Neil Winters for 27 years on “The Young and the Restless,” has died. He was 52.
