The online editorial staff comprises Betsy Shirley, Jenna Barnett, Josiah R. Daniels, Mitchell Atencio, Heather Brady, Kierra Bennning, and Zachary Lee.
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Weekly Wrap 7.29.16: The 10 Best Stories You Missed This Week
1. Powerful Photos of Pope Francis’ Visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau
Pope Francis left a simple note in the guest book: “Lord, have mercy on your people! Lord, forgiveness for so much cruelty!”
2. Lawsuit Forces Texas to Make It Easier for Immigrants to Get Birth Certificates for Children
“The bottom line is, there was a category of people who were being locked out of obtaining a birth certificate to which they are entitled constitutionally as citizens born in the United States just because of the immigration status of the parents.”
Federal Court Strikes Down North Carolina Voter ID Law
Image via Derek Hatfield / Shutterstock.com
North Carolina’s requirement that voters present photo identification at the polls has long been called a disguised attempt to suppress the black vote. The Rev. William Barber and Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove have called voting rights rollbacks, like the one in North Carolina, the “second career of James Crow, Esq.” for their racially discriminatory impact.
6 State Employees Charged in Flint Water Crisis
Image via George Thomas / flickr.com
Michigan’s attorney general has filed charges against six state employees for their roles in the lead contamination crisis in the city of Flint, Mich., reports The Detroit News.
Attorney General Bill Schuette is bringing charges against three employees of the Department of Health and Human Services and three employees of the Department of Environmental Quality, including Liane Shekter Smith, the former municipal water chief and the only state employee to have been fired so far in the wake of the crisis.
All Charges Dropped for Freddie Gray Case, No Convictions
Image via Anton Prado PHOTO/Shutterstock.com
The trial of Baltimore officer Garrett Miller, set for today, was unusual even within the high-profile case of the death of Freddie Gray, who died from injuries sustained in the back of a police van after arrest.
Michelle Obama at the DNC on Her Family's Motto: 'When They Go Low, We Go High'
First Lady Michelle Obama addresses the Democratic National Convention.
Michelle Obama's speech — the only one that seemingly completely silenced the jeers and boos of the Bernie or Bust crowd — focused not just on unity behind Clinton, but unity against the hateful rhetoric coming from the Republican nominee. Watch here.
Weekly Wrap 7.22.16: The 10 Best Stories You Missed This Week
1. ‘Jesus Feminists’ See Hillary Clinton As a Role Model. They Just Won’t Vote for Her
Increasingly, young evangelical women see women’s leadership as a major priority. But “evangelicals make up perhaps the most consistently anti-Clinton groups in the country.” Which leaves us … here?
2. Live, from the Republican National Convention
Who went to the Republican National Convention? Meet attendees and protesters through photos, video, and FBLive streaming, from Sojourners’ team on the ground in Cleveland.
3. Fear and Trembling in Las Vegas
Spending a week with street preachers in Sin City (...yep, you read that right).
Sen. Tim Kaine Is Hillary Clinton's Choice for VP
Photo via Virginia Department of Transportation / Flickr
Generally thought of as less progressive than other potential VP nominees Elizabeth Warren and Julian Castro, Kaine could help Clinton attract white male voters, independents, and other moderates turned off by Donald Trump's rhetoric.
Fox News CEO Roger Ailes Resigns After Sexual Harrassment Allegations
Photo via 360b / Shutterstock
After more than 20 women over a matter of weeks have accused Roger Ailes of sexual harassment, the man credited with making Fox News happen for the past 20 years is resigning.
Reports: NBA to Relocate All-Star Game in Protest of North Carolina’s Bathroom Bill
Image via melis / Shutterstock.com
The NBA is planning to pull the 2017 All-Star Game out of Charlotte, N.C. in protest of the “bathroom bill,” reports Yahoo Sports.
League sources told Yahoo Sports’ The Vertical that a formal announcement could come as soon as this week.
Police Shoot Autistic Man’s Unarmed Caretaker in North Miami
Image via Phase4Studios / Shutterstock.com
Police shot a black man who was taking care of an autistic patient who had wandered into the street, reports the Miami Herald.
On July 18, an unnamed officer shot the caretaker, Charles Kinsey, 47, in the leg with an assault rifle. Video footage taken before the shooting shows Kinsey lying on the ground with his hands in the air, telling his autistic patient to cooperate and lie on the ground as well. Kinsey was not badly injured and is scheduled to be released from the hospital July 21.
Reports: U.S. Air Strike Mistakenly Kills 56 Syrian Civilians
Image via Bartosz Nitkiewicz / Shutterstock.com
A strike by U.S. jets nearly 60civilians on July 19 after mistaking them for ISIS fighters, reports The Telegraph.
Before being killed, eight families were fleeing their village of Tokhar in order to escape fighting between ISIS and the U.S.-backed rebels known as the Syria Democratic Forces, according to the reports.
Steve King Asks What Nonwhites Have Done for Civilization. Here Are 10 Great Responses.
Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) on MSNBC.
The Republican National Convention got underway July 18, and those who were anticipating drama did not have to wait long.
Even before the official start of the convention, Stephen Colbert stole the stage to announce the commencement of the “Republican National Hungry for Power Games” while imitating a character from the dystopian novels and movies, The Hunger Games.
Third Officer in Freddie Gray Case Found Not Guilty on All Charges
Police watch protestors in Los Angeles march against the death of Freddie Gray. Photo via betto rodrigues / Shutterstock
Judge Barry G. Williams, the same judge presided over the acquittals of Officers Edward Nero and Caesar Goodson, cleared Rice of involuntary manslaugher, reckless endangerment, and misconduct in office.
In the Wake of Baton Rouge Ambush: More Answers, More Grief
Image via a katz / Shutterstock.com
The ambush came on the heels of the Dallas shooting, when five officers were killed during a protest against police violence. Baton Rouge was the city where police killed Alton Sterling on July 5.
Obama Just Held 'Marathon' Meeting With Police Chiefs, Black Activists, Local Leaders
Obama with Mick McHale, President of the National Association of Police Organizations. Image via Pete Souza / White House
Thirty-three people filed into a White House conference room on July 13 for a meeting with President Obama on race and policing, and at times, it got tense,The Washington Post reports.
Based on the seating arrangements, that’s probably not a surprise — activists sat between police chiefs and mayors, the head of the Fraternal Order of Police sat between the NAACP president and a Harvard professor. But eventually, it paid off.
CIA Director: No Waterboarding on My Watch
Image via Wikimedia.
CIA Director John Brennan said that if the next president ordered the CIA to resume waterboarding, he would resign, reports The Week.
Waterboarding was banned by President Obama in a 2009 executive order, but the order could theoretically be reversed.
4 Ways Faith Influences New UK Prime Minister Theresa May
Image via UK Home Office/Flickr
David Cameron stepped down from his role as prime minister of the United Kingdom on July 13, as he had announced after the Brexit vote.
In his resignation speech in front of 10 Downing Street, the traditional residence of the prime minster, Cameron called his tenure “the greatest honor” of his life. He will continue to serve in parliament as a representative of Witney.
Sanders Endorses Clinton, Calls for Unity in 'Stressful Times'
Image via Joseph Sohm/Shutterstock.com
Sanders leaves what was a long and often-contentious race on a high note, having captured nearly 1,900 delegates — "far more," he said, "than almost anyone thought we could win.
New Icon Depicts Black Mary as 'Our Lady Mother of Ferguson'
Image via Rev. Dr. Mark Francisco Bozzuti-Jones / Fr. James Martin / Facebook
This is not the only icon written in response to recent acts of violence. Nikola Saric, a Serbian artist, wrote a haunting icon in response to the martyrdom of 21 Christians who were beheaded by ISIS in February 2015.
How to Push for Policing Reform, In 3 Easy Steps
Image via Michael Dechev / Shutterstock.com
The killings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile last week added fresh pain to the longstanding and unresolved crisis of police killings of black Americans.