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People pause to honor George Floyd on anniversary of his death
A family friendly street festival, musical performances and moments of silence were held Tuesday to honor George Floyd and mark the year since he died at the hands of Minneapolis police on May 25, 2020, a death captured on wrenching bystander video that galvanized a global racial justice movement and continues to bring calls for change.
Baton Rouge works to heal after shootings
BATON ROUGE, LA. On the affluent south side of Baton Rouge, a clutch of plastic balloons bobs in front of the gas station where a former Marine shot and killed three police officers last Sunday. On the impoverished north
Dr. Dre hospitalized with brain aneurysm
Dr. Dre says he will be “back home soon” after the music mogul received medical treatment at a Los Angeles hospital for a reported brain aneurysm.
Oprah’s O magazine to end monthly print editions after 20 years
O, The Oprah Magazine is ending its regular monthly print editions with the December issue after 20 years of publication.
Malia, Sasha turn heads at first state dinner
Sasha and Malia Obama, the teenage daughters of President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, were nothing less than stunning for their first state dinner, where they were first clad in designer fabrics and later in controversy. During the official White House event last Thursday night welcoming Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, both Sasha and Malia ruled the red carpet, rubbed elbows with dignitaries and enjoyed a rare star-struck moment with “Deadpool” star Ryan Reynolds.
Former First Lady Barbara Bush dies
A private funeral for former First Lady Barbara Bush, the only American woman to see her husband and son both sworn in as president, will be held on Saturday, April 21, at a Houston church where her family has been members since the 1950s, officials said.
City Council authorizes mayor to accept Lee monument and land from state
The traffic circle at Monument and Allen avenues where the giant monument to Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee once stood will soon belong to the City of Richmond.
Would domestic terrorism law help prevent extremist shootings?
The package bombs sent to Democrats across the country and the killings of Jews at a Pittsburgh synagogue may seem like clear-cut cases of terrorism. But the suspects will almost certainly never face terrorism charges.
History-making golfers die days apart
Two of professional golf’s successful African-American golfers have died — Calvin Peete and Pete Brown. Mr. Peete, the most successful African-American professional golfer on the PGA Tour prior to Tiger Woods, died Wednesday, April 29, 2015, in Atlanta.
Family discord mars memorial service for Bobbi Kristina
Bobbi Kristina Brown was buried early Monday afternoon next to her iconic mother, Whitney Houston, at a cemetery in New Jersey.
House Speaker Paul Ryan forces out chaplain
U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan forced out the Jesuit priest who had served as chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives since 2011 because he said in a prayer during deliberations on tax cuts that lawmakers should be “fair to all Americans,” a news report stated last week.
Warren ‘Pete’ Moore, original vocalist, songwriter with The Miracles, dies at 79
Warren “Pete” Moore, a vocalist and songwriter with Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, died Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017, in Las Vegas on his 79th birthday.
VSU grad crowned Miss USA
Deshauna Barber has brains and beauty, and she’s a commander in the Army Reserve to boot. The 2011 Virginia State University graduate now adds another title: Miss USA 2016. Miss Barber, 26, who represented the District of Columbia in Sunday’s pageant at the T-Mobile Arena on the Las Vegas strip, beat contestants from 50 states to win the crown.
Harry and Meghan have a royal baby
And his name is Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex whose fairytale wedding last year garnered international headlines, gave birth to a 7 pound 3 ounce boy at 5:26 a.m. Monday.
2016 General Assembly ends with bipartisan consensus on budget, other measures
The 2016 General Assembly session is over — ending last Friday, a day early, on a high note of accomplishment. The hectic 59 days produced a landmark compromise on gun laws and a new state budget providing a dramatic boost in spending on public education and offering pay hikes for state workers and lawmakers.
Obamas choose 2 African-American artists for official presidential portraits
Artist Kehinde Wiley, known for his large, edgy paintings of top music and hip-hop performers such as Michael Jackson, LL Cool J, Notorious B.I.G., Ice T and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, has been commissioned to paint the official presidential portrait of former President Obama for the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery.
Federal appeals court rules Trump travel ban unconstitutional
President Trump’s latest travel ban on travelers from six largely Muslim countries is “unconstitutionally tainted with animus toward Islam,” a federal appeals court ruled last week, delivering another blow to the policy. In a 9-4 vote, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond said on Feb. 15 that it examined statements made by President Trump and other administration officials, as well as the presidential proclamation imposing the ban, and concluded that it “second-guesses our nations dedication to religious freedom and tolerance.”
Organizations raise $1M for new racial justice fund
Several organizations in Richmond have partnered to raise $1 million for a fund set to expand wealth and educational op- portunities for the Black community and to address structural racism.
’Emancipation’ project leaves Georgia over voter suppression laws
Will Smith and director Antoine Fuqua have pulled production of their runaway slave drama “Emancipation” from Georgia over the state’s recently enacted law restricting voting access.
It’s all about the ‘Tubmans’
Anti-slavery crusader Harriet Tubman will replace former President Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill, U.S. Treasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew announced Wednesday.
