by Siera Jones The Commonwealth of Virginia has passed an historic bill granting students excused absences to participate in protests and lobbying events. This legislation in both the House of Representatives and the Senate is a result of bipartisan lobbying efforts by both the Virginia Young Democrats Teen Caucus and the Teenage Republican Federation of … Continue reading
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — The national debate over removing Confederate symbols from U.S. college campuses is spurring wider questions about university benefactors whose ties to slavery or white supremacy flew under the radar in decades past. Students and alumni are no longer simply opposing overt Confederate memorials, but also lesser-known founders and donors with … Continue reading
by Kaitlyn Wolodkewitsch The fight for racial equality, specifically ending police brutality, rages on as NFL teams across the nation are kneeling during the national anthem to protest the treatment of African Americans. President Trump tweeted that NFL team owners should fire the players who are kneeling during the national anthem insisting that kneeling during the … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump and his criticism of protesting athletes (all times local): 1:35 p.m. President Donald Trump says football players can protest during a game “but they cannot do it during the national anthem.” Trump says there are plenty of other places where players can protest. Trump says that … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on first lady Melania Trump leading the U.S. delegation to the Invictus Games in Toronto (all times local): 9 p.m. U.S. first lady Melania Trump stood and applauded Team USA during the opening ceremonies in Toronto of an Olympic-style competition for wounded service members and veterans. Mrs. Trump joined the … Continue reading
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — Actor Mark Ruffalo has joined activists marching from Charlottesville, Virginia, to the nation’s capital to condemn white supremacy recently on display in the Virginia city. “The Avengers” star tweeted photos of himself Thursday in “The March to Confront White Supremacy.” In a statement, Ruffalo says he’s marching in memory of Heather … Continue reading
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — A man wanted in connection with the beating of a black man in Charlottesville on the day of a white nationalist rally turned himself in to authorities in Georgia and will be extradited to Virginia, officials said.Alex Michael Ramos, 33, surrendered Monday evening at the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, Sgt. Lawson … Continue reading
With a new school year dawning, education officials are grappling with whether to remove the names, images and statues of Confederate figures from public schools — especially since some are now filled with students of color. The violence at a white nationalist rally over a Robert E. Lee statue in Charlottesville, Virginia, is giving school … Continue reading
LONDON (AP) — The Latest on the London high-rise fire (all times local): 4:40 p.m. British Prime Minister Theresa May’s office says combustible cladding has so far been found on seven high-rise blocks in England after tests ordered by the government. The British leader said earlier Thursday that tests were being carried out on cladding … Continue reading
DETROIT (AP) — The arrests of dozens of Iraqi Christians in southeastern Michigan by U.S. immigration officials appear to be among the first roundups of people from Iraq who have long faced deportation, underscoring rising concerns in other immigrant communities. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials on Monday declined to say how many were taken … Continue reading
BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — Brazil’s president on Thursday cancelled an order to deploy the military to the streets of the capital after criticism that the move was excessive and merely an effort to hold onto power amid increasing calls for his resignation. In a decree published in the Official Diary, President Michel Temer revoked the … Continue reading
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazil’s political crisis deepened sharply on Thursday with corruption allegations that threatened to topple the president, undermine reforms aimed at pulling the economy from recession and leave Latin America’s largest nation rudderless. Stocks plunged, both chambers of Congress cancelled sessions and President Michel Temer’s office canceled his planned activities Thursday … Continue reading
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Chaos erupted in Venezuela this week during another round of protests against the socialist government, with buildings set afire, tear gas canisters lobbed back and forth, and at least three new deaths reported. Grisly videos captured much of Monday’s violence. In a video purporting to show the final moments of one … Continue reading
DALLAS (AP) — Thousands of people marched and rallied in downtown Dallas on Sunday, April 9, to call for an overhaul of the nation’s immigration system and end to what organizers said is an aggressive deportation policy. Organizers who called Sunday’s event the “Dallas Mega March” said President Donald Trump’s executive orders restricting travel from … Continue reading
BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) — University of California, Berkeley police took a hands-off approach to protesters on the campus last week when violent rioters caused chaos when they overtook a largely peaceful protest against a right-wing speaker. But that response by campus officers is being questioned amid widening political polarization and increasingly hostile demonstrators. Last week’s … Continue reading
Spartan Echo 