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Voices from the violent civil rights era see attacks on voting rights as part of ongoing struggle

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:05:40 GMT

They are part of a small, vanishing group who lived at the epicenter of the struggle for voting rights six decades ago, an era driven by segregation, violence and the yearning for equality that eventually led to laws bringing the U.S. closer to its promise of democracy for all its citizens.As the country awaits a Supreme Court decision on whether one of those laws, the Voting Rights Act, will be reinforced or further eroded, they reflect on the times and their struggles, and why they are certain it all was worth it. Ten years ago this month, the court halted what many consider the heart of that landmark law — the ability of the Justice Department to enforce it in states and counties with a history of voter suppression. The justices now will decide how strongly to protect minority groups when they challenge political boundaries drawn through states’ redistricting.The stories from those on the front lines of history recount tragedy, racism, oppression and ultimately hope in seei...

Statistics Canada reports merchandise trade surplus rose to $1.9B in April

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:05:40 GMT

OTTAWA — Statistics Canada say the country’s merchandise trade surplus increased to $1.9 billion in April, helped by higher exports of gold, oil and cars and light trucks.The result followed a revised surplus of $231 million in March. The agency’s initial reading for March released last month had indicated a surplus of $972 million.Exports for April rose 2.5 per cent to $64.8 billion as exports of metal and non-metallic mineral products gained 13.6 per cent, lifted higher by a 46.0 per cent gain in unwrought gold.Exports of energy products gained 6.4 per cent as higher prices helped lift crude oil exports 7.1 per cent. Exports by the motor vehicles and parts sector rose 7.4 per cent as exports of passenger cars and light trucks gained 7.7 per cent and engines and parts added 9.9 per cent.Meanwhile, imports in April fell 0.2 per cent to $62.9 billion as imports of energy products fell 12.8 per cent with crude oil imports down 20.5 per cent, in part due to lower shipments ...

Young lawyer who helped write voting rights bill ‘star-struck’ as he witnessed 1965 signing into law

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:05:40 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Joel Finkelstein is an accidental witness to one of the seminal events of the civil rights movement, the signing in 1965 of the Voting Rights Act.He was a year out of law school at Cornell when he received the call to head to the Capitol for the signing. Now 83, Finkelstein still isn’t sure how he ended up witnessing the signing — on his 25th birthday — but figured President Lyndon Johnson wanted people who had worked on the bill to be present.Finkelstein helped write the law as a lawyer in the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.“Well, I was one of the staff and that’s how I got there,” he said.Finkelstein had wanted to work for the Justice Department as long as he could remember. He was raised in Savannah, Georgia, and had gone to undergraduate school at Tulane in New Orleans.“I was not unfamiliar with what went on in the South,” he said.It was a time when some of the nation’s best young lawyers sought work at the Justice Department, where Finkelstein reca...

Voting activist killed during Freedom Summer in Mississippi believed country should be integrated

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:05:40 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Stephen Schwerner doesn’t remember how he learned that his younger brother Michael, nicknamed Mickey, was missing in Mississippi along with colleagues Andrew Goodman and James Chaney. What he remembers is that as soon as the family heard the news, they were certain of the young men’s fate.“We were sure they were killed,” he said. “There was little doubt about that. There was no reason for them to be missing in Mississippi.”It was the summer of 1964, an era marked by murders, beatings, disappearances and church bombings amid the struggle for civil rights and the fight against segregation. Just a year before, a bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, killed four young Black girls.The disappearance of the three men, who had been part of a drive to register Black voters in Mississippi during what was called Freedom Summer, and the discovery of their bodies weeks later was an inflection point that shocked the national conscience.“The most i...

Ex-Indiana AG eyes GOP governor’s race after groping case derailed 2020 reelection

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:05:40 GMT

INDIANAPOLIS — Former Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill is considering whether to join the 2024 Republican governor’s race, nearly three years after his reelection bid was derailed by allegations that he drunkenly groped four women during a party.Hill built a following among social conservatives during his time in office and his entry into the governor’s race could further complicate what already is shaping up to be an expensive fight for the Republican nomination. U.S. Sen. Mike Braun, Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch and Fort Wayne businessman Eric Doden are already vying to replace Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb, who can’t seek reelection because of term limits.Hill expects to make a decision in the coming weeks as he and his wife “are carefully praying for guidance,” he said in a statement provided to The Associated Press by his political advising firm.“At a time when Hoosiers are hungry for fresh leadership, it is crucial that we distinguish between those who g...

Lionel Messi is going to play in MLS, reports say

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:05:40 GMT

MIAMI — The greatest player in soccer is going to be making his way to America for his next professional stop in the sport. Per a report from Guillem Balague of CBS Sports, Lionel Messi will play for Major League Soccer's Inter Miami CF after his contract with Ligue 1 side Paris Saint-Germain expires in June. He had been weighing a major offer from Saudi Arabia's Al-Ittihad of Saudi Professional LeagueThe club nor Messi has officially confirmed the move. This makes Messi, a seven-time Ballon d'Or winner for world's best soccer player and 2022 World Cup champion with Argentina, arguably the most high-profile signing by an MLS club since play began in 1996.He joins an Inter Miami CF club that started play in 2020 and is co-owned by former superstar David Beckham, who is also the team's president. Beckham himself joined MLS after a successful European soccer career in 2007, when he signed with the LA Galaxy.

Father loses second child in 2 months after son drowns in Tennessee

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:05:40 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A father is mourning after his son drowned in Tennessee just two months after he lost his daughter in a deadly car crash. "I can't believe it. It's unreal. It's unbelievable. I don't know how to deal with it right now," said father Calvin Johnson. Ke'Von Smith Johnson, 24, was one of five people who have died while boating on Percy Priest Lake so far this year. Safety reminders for Percy Priest Lake after recent drownings The heartbroken dad said his son disappeared while on the water in the Party Cove area and never returned."He had a friend that tried to save him, but in order to save himself, because my son was out too far, my son caught a cramp in his leg and was panicking. He panicked so much that he almost drugged his friend down with him, but his friend got to where he could break away and turn around. He had gone under, and he didn't see him anymore," his dad said.Calvin Johnson said he had to bury his 21-year-old daughter, Ke'Asia Franklin, ...

CEO Chris Licht to leave CNN

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:05:40 GMT

(The Hill) -- Chris Licht, the embattled CEO of CNN, plans to step down as the company’s top executive after just one year on the job, bringing an end to his tumultuous tenure as the cable news network's chief executive.The news was announced to staffers on the network’s Wednesday morning editorial call, a source told The Hill, after multiple reports surfaced early in the day that Licht was leaving.David Zaslav, president and CEO of CNN's parent company Warner Bros. Discovery, joined the call and said he has "great respect for Chris, personally and professionally.”“The job of leading CNN was never going to be easy, especially at a time of huge disruption and transformation, and he has poured his heart and soul into it," Zaslav said. "While we know we have work to do as we look to identify a new leader, we have absolute confidence in the team we have in place and will continue to fight for CNN and its world-class journalism.” Biden names two Louisiana judicial nominee picks An in...

Protesters brawl as California school district decides to recognize Pride Month

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:05:40 GMT

GLENDALE, Calif. (KTLA) - At least three people were arrested after fights broke out amid a school district meeting on the inclusion of LGBTQ+ studies in Glendale, California, on Tuesday.Large barricades set up by Glendale Police to control crowds were seen containing hundreds of demonstrators outside of the Glendale Unified School District headquarters.A dispersal order was issued around 6:15 p.m. as police were heard using a loudspeaker to order the crowds’ removal, declaring an unlawful assembly. A large barricade was placed in the middle of the parking lot, separating the two contentious groups.Conservative groups andLGBTQ+ rights supporters protest as police try to maintain order outside the Glendale Unified School District offices in Glendale, Calif., Tuesday, June 6, 2023. Several hundred people gathered in the parking lot of the district headquarters, split between those who support or oppose teaching about exposing youngsters to LGBTQ+ issues in schools. (Keith Birmingham/T...

FBI warns of 'deepfakes' in sextortion schemes

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:05:40 GMT

(The Hill) - The FBI is warning the public about the use of “deepfakes” to harass or blackmail targets with fake sexually explicit photos or videos of them. The agency said in a statement on Monday that technological advancements have continuously improved the quality, customizability and accessibility of content generated by artificial intelligence (AI), and victims have reported that their photos or videos have been altered to turn into sexual content. The FBI said malicious actors usually take content from someone’s social media account, the internet and the victim themself to create the content that is explicit and appears to resemble them. The content is then circulated on social media, online forums or pornographic websites. Those who create the content and target victims are usually motivated by wanting to obtain additional content, financial benefit or the ability to harass others, according to the agency. The FBI said it has observed an increase in the number...