Angry crowd gathers near scene of fatal police shooting in Portland
An angry crowd gathered Friday at a Portland park after police fatally shot a man while responding to reports of a person with a gun.
Continue ReadingMonth: April 2021
AG Garland ends restrictions on consent decrees, aims to hold troubled police departments accountable
Attorney General Merrick Garland announced on Friday that the Justice Department is rescinding a Trump-era memo that limited the use of consent decrees that hold police departments accused of misconduct accountable. Garland’s decision to rescind the restrictive rules comes after years of civil unrest due to the police-involved killings of Black men and women across
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Joe Biden stands down at a critical juncture for police reform
Nearly a year after the police killing of George Floyd, pressure is mounting on President Joe Biden and members of Congress to show they are committed to holding police officers accountable for misconduct, excessive force and negligence after yet another agonizing week that has demonstrated how Americans of color are continuing to lose their lives
Continue ReadingSupreme Court ruling grants man certificate of innocence
Click here for updates on this story SPRINGFIELD, Illinois (Tulsa World) — A majority of the Illinois Supreme Court decided Thursday that the state law governing certificates of innocence only requires exonerated individuals to prove their innocence for the criminal offense with which they were initially charged. The court’s decision means that an exonerated person
Continue ReadingPolice officer pleads guilty to federal firearms charges
Click here for updates on this story TULSA, Oklahoma (Tulsa World) — A Tulsa police officer pleaded guilty in federal court on Thursday to illegally buying a gun for her boyfriend, who was later arrested on state charges. Officer Latoya Dythe, who has been out of the police academy less than three years and was
Continue ReadingBiden welcomes Japanese Prime Minister as he tries to send ‘clear signal’ to China
President Joe Biden hosted Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga at the White House on Friday for his first in-person meeting with a foreign leader as the US seeks to refocus its foreign policy in East Asia. Biden and Suga said they both aimed to tighten the relationship between the two countries during the daylong visit. “As
Continue Reading‘Unacceptable and unconscionable’: Top progressives outraged Biden won’t raise refugee cap
Prominent progressive lawmakers expressed outrage on Friday in response to the news that President Joe Biden will sign an emergency determination that keeps the Trump-era refugee cap of 15,000 — a significant reversal from his administration’s proposal earlier this year to lift the cap to 62,500. The declaration will bring back regional allocations, in effect
Continue ReadingPolice charge woman with murder of infant
Click here for updates on this story LECLAIRE, Iowa (Quad-City Times) — A woman facing a murder charge in relation to the 2020 death of a 5-month-old girl in LeClaire allegedly told police shortly before the baby died that she dropped the child while carrying her. Angela Marxen, 55, of Davenport, is charged with first-degree
Continue ReadingJ&J reportedly sought help from rivals after blood clot concerns emerged
Johnson & Johnson sought help from its three rival Covid-19 vaccine makers to look into reports of blood clots, but Pfizer and Moderna both declined, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the situation. Only AstraZeneca agreed, according to the WSJ. J&J also wanted to build an informal alliance with its
Continue ReadingInflation is coming, the question is when
The stock market is soaring and bond yields have pulled back after a big spike earlier this year. But make no mistake: Investors still have plenty to fret about when it comes to the threat of inflation. The US economy is rebounding thanks to stimulus and Covid-19 vaccines. Retail sales went through the roof in
Continue ReadingCharter schools slapped with new $10.5 million penalty by state Education Department
Click here for updates on this story OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma (Tulsa World) — Epic Charter Schools has been hit with another big financial penalty by the Oklahoma State Department of Education. For the second year in a row, education officials say Epic’s own spending reports to the state reflect administrative costs well above statutory limits
Continue ReadingBiden won’t raise refugee cap this fiscal year in a reversal on earlier pledge
President Joe Biden will sign a declaration on Friday to speed refugee admissions to the US but not raise the refugee cap, as he had committed to doing — a significant reversal from his administration’s proposal earlier this year to lift the cap to 62,500. Instead, Biden will sign an emergency determination that keeps the
Continue ReadingRussia sanctions 8 US officials and expels diplomats in retaliation for Biden’s actions
Russia has sanctioned eight senior US administration officials, including FBI director Christopher Wray and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, barring them from entering the country in retaliation for President Joe Biden’s sweeping sanctions against the Kremlin on Thursday. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also said the Kremlin has advised the US Ambassador to Russia, John
Continue ReadingMusic teacher killed in vehicle crash with fire truck
Click here for updates on this story ASHEVILLE, North Carolina (WLOS) — On April 16, Buncombe County Schools released the name of the person killed in the crash with a West Buncombe fire truck the day before. Jason Minnix, 47, was a “beloved member” of the Buncombe County Schools community who taught music at Eblen
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Gov. Brown orders public flags to half-staff in honor of Indianapolis shooting victims
Gov. Kate Brown on Friday ordered all flags at Oregon public institutions to be flown at half-staff until sunset on Tuesday, to honor and remember the victims of the shooting in Indianapolis.
Continue ReadingWhite House press briefing interrupted by flyover for new WWI memorial
Low-flying F-22 Raptors momentarily interrupted the White House press briefing on Friday as their roar could be heard and felt in buildings in and around downtown Washington. While describing President Joe Biden’s upcoming schedule for next week, White House press secretary Jen Psaki had to pause and say: “Wow — there’s a plane right overhead,
Continue ReadingHe’s a cop. He’s 91. And he has no plans to retire
Where do you see yourself at the age of 91? Working, with no plans to retire, may not be the first thing that comes to mind. But for one Arkansas police officer, he wouldn’t have it any other way. L.C. “Buckshot” Smith has worked in law enforcement for more than 56 years, and with his
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Trump EPA appointee blocked public release of cancer danger, inspector general says
Trump administration political appointees at the Environmental Protection Agency repeatedly squashed efforts to warn the public about a cancer-causing gas in their neighborhood, according to a new review. The EPA inspector general said Bill Wehrum, a former attorney for the fossil fuel industry who led the air and radiation office, directed officials who investigated the
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Cascades East Transit to resume Saturday service May 1, remain fareless
Starting May 1, Cascades East Transit will return to providing Saturday services for Bend Fixed Routes and major Community Connector Routes across Central Oregon, the agency announced Friday.
Continue ReadingHeavy metal guitarist is first US Capitol rioter to plead guilty
A heavy metal guitarist with ties to the Oath Keepers pleaded guilty Friday to two crimes related to the US Capitol insurrection, making him the first rioter to do so. Jon Ryan Schaffer pleaded guilty to obstruction of an official proceeding and entering a building with a dangerous weapon. He admitted to carrying bear spray
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