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☆ A Florida deputy who fatally shot a 23-year-old airman in his home may have been in the wrong apartment, witness says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Thomas Novelly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

"The circumstances surrounding Roger's death raise serious questions that demand immediate answers from authorities, especially considering the alarming witness statement that the police entered the wrong apartment," Crump said. AdvertisementThis photo provided by the US Air Force shows Senior Airman Roger Fortson. US Air Force via APThe sheriff's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the attorney's claims. He reportedly said, "I can't breathe" while on the ground after being shot, Crump said, repeating a witness account of the event. Chantimekki Fortson, mother of Roger Fortson, a US Air Force airman, is comforted as she speaks about her son during a news conference regarding his death.

Persons: —, Roger Fortson, Ben Crump, Fortson, Crump, Roger, GulfLive.com, Chantimekki Fortson, Gerald Herbert, Military.com, Eric Aden Organizations: Service, Special Operations, Business, Sheriff's, US Air Force, AP, Air Force, Florida Department of Law Locations: Florida, Fortson's, Okaloosa, Okaloosa County, Aden

☆ Sheriff Releases Body Camera Footage in Police Killing of Airman in His Home
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Eduardo Medina | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Under mounting pressure to offer a justification for the fatal police shooting of a U.S. Air Force senior airman in his own apartment last week, a Florida sheriff on Thursday released body camera footage of the deadly encounter. The footage shows Senior Airman Roger Fortson, 23, answering the door of his apartment in the Florida Panhandle and immediately being shot by a deputy from the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office. Some of those accusations appeared to be undercut by the body camera video. The lawyers said they were based on information from Airman Fortson’s girlfriend, who had been on a video call with him during the episode. They did not dispute that Airman Fortson was armed but said that he had every right to be as a legal gun owner in his own home.

Persons: Roger Fortson, Fortson, “, Ben Crump, George Floyd —, Fortson’s Organizations: U.S . Air Force, Florida Panhandle, Sheriff’s Office Locations: Florida, Okaloosa

☆ Pregnancy complications linked to increased risk of early death even decades later, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Pregnancy complications, such as gestational diabetes or preeclampsia, may be linked to an elevated risk of death even decades after giving birth, according to a new study. The study, published Monday in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, found that women who experienced major complications during pregnancy had an increased risk of early death and that risk remained elevated for more than 40 years. The data showed that more than 88,000 women had died and all five pregnancy complications were independently associated with a higher mortality risk later in life. Gestational diabetes was associated with a 52% increased risk of mortality, preterm delivery was associated with a 41% increased risk, delivering a baby with low birth weight was associated with a 30% increased risk, preeclampsia with a 13% increased risk and other hypertensive disorders with a 27% increased risk, the data showed. “We found that the increased mortality was attributable to multiple different causes of death, including heart disease, diabetes, respiratory disorders, and cancer,” he said.

Persons: Dr, Casey Crump, ” Crump, “, ”, Ashley Roman, ” Roman, Crump, Joanne Stone, Raquel, Jaime Gilinski, ” Stone, Sanjay Gupta Organizations: CNN, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Lund University, NYU Langone Health, ’, of Obstetrics, Icahn School of Medicine, CNN Health Locations: UTHealth, Houston, Malmö, Sweden, United States, Mount

☆ Navy Federal says external review finds ‘non-race factors’ explained mortgage approval disparities
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-23 | by ( Casey Tolan | Rene Marsh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The nearly 29-percentage-point gap in Navy Federal’s approval rates was the widest of any of the 50 lenders that originated the most mortgage loans in 2022. In addition, an analysis by staff of the Senate Banking Committee, which 10 Democratic senators cited in a letter asking federal regulators to review Navy Federal’s mortgage lending earlier this year, also found racial disparities in Navy Federal’s mortgage approval rates based on the publicly available data. A spokesperson for Navy Federal did not respond to a request for additional details about the analysis. Navy Federal described Adegbile’s analysis as an “external review,” but his law firm, WilmerHale, is also defending Navy Federal in a class-action lawsuit from Black and Latino borrowers who allege the credit union discriminated against them in mortgage applications. “Navy Federal should immediately put out the full investigative report and data analysis so that Navy Federal’s members have an opportunity for themselves to review the findings,” the statement said.

Persons: hadn’t, “, ”, Debo Adegbile, ” Adegbile, WilmerHale, – Ben Crump, Adam Levitt, Hassan Zavareei –, Adegbile Organizations: CNN, Navy Federal Credit Union, Department of Defense, Federal, Consumer Financial, Bureau, Banking Committee, Navy Federal, U.S . Commission, Civil Rights Locations: Black, Navy

☆ Sheriff’s Deputies Shoot Woman Inside Friend’s Home in Houston, Authorities Say
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Livia Albeck-Ripka | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A Houston woman was shot in her friend’s apartment this month by sheriff’s deputies who responded to a report of a break-in and fired repeatedly into the home, according to a statement and body camera footage released by the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. The women were startled when, after 2 a.m., the deputies began pounding on the door, according Mr. Crump. Fearing an intruder, Ms. Pouncy picked up her legally registered firearm and, shortly after, was struck by five bullets, he said. Emergency medical workers took Ms. Pouncy to a hospital for treatment, the sheriff’s office said. While the nature of her injuries was unclear, Mr. Crump said in his statement that she was recovering.

Persons: sheriff’s, Eboni Pouncy, Ben Crump, Pouncy, Crump Organizations: Sheriff’s Office Locations: Houston, Harris

☆ Snoop Dogg is accusing Walmart of a 'diabolical' scheme to keep his cereal off their shelves
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Snoop Dogg's food company is suing Walmart and Post Consumer Brands for their "diabolical actions." The rapper accused the two companies of keeping "Snoop Cereal" off Walmart's shelves. AdvertisementSnoop Dogg and his fellow rapper Master P are accusing Walmart and Post Consumer Brands of colluding to keep their newly launched cereals off store shelves. The rappers' attorney Ben Crump in a statement on Wednesday accused Walmart of colluding with Post Consumer Brands. A spokesperson for Post Consumer Brands told Billboard that they "made substantial investments" in their partnership with Broadus Foods.

Persons: Snoop, —, Ben Crump, stockrooms, couldn't, Crump, Snoop Dogg Organizations: Walmart, Post Consumer Brands, Service, colluding, Broadus, Post Foods, Billboard, Business Insider Locations: colluding

Judge Kevin Newsom, a Trump appointee, pushed back against the Fearless Fund's argument that the grants are protected by the First Amendment because they are charitable donations. He asked the Fearless Fund's attorneys whether the same protection would apply to a contest open only to white applicants. “I think that's a pretty simple yes or no,” Newsom said, interrupting when the attorney for the Fearless Fund, Jason Schwartz, started to reply. They’re saying, no, we want all the pie,” Ben Crump, a civil rights attorney who is also representing the Fearless Fund Fund, said a news conference following the hearing. But since the lawsuit was filed, the Fearless Fund has had trouble securing new investment, said co-founder Arian Simone.

Persons: Donald Trump, Barack Obama —, Fearless, Kevin Newsom, Edward Blum, ” Newsom, Jason Schwartz, Schwartz, ” Schwartz, ” Ben Crump, ”, Morgan Chase, Arian Simone, “, ” Simone, Newsom, ______ Olson Organizations: MIAMI, American Alliance for Equal Rights, Trump, American Alliance, Black, Bank of America, Mastercard, “ Locations: U.S, Black, Miami, America, “, New York

☆ The family of a Mississippi high school football player who died after being forced to practice in 103-degree heat is now suing the school district
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewThe parents of a Mississippi high school football player are suing his school district after he died when coaches made him sprint in extreme heat conditions. AdvertisementAthletes under 30 can also be at risk of cardiac arrest during intense competition. Also in August, a top high school basketball player died in Pinson, Alabama, after going into cardiac arrest during a school workout. And a high school football player in Scottsdale, Arizona was sidelined in September after going into cardiac arrest during a workout . Another USC player, Vince Iwuchukwu, went into sudden cardiac arrest during a practice in July 2022, according to CNN .

Persons: —, Trey Laster, Laster, Ben Crump, vomited, Crump, Michael Strecker, LeBron James's, Bronny James, James, Vince Iwuchukwu, Keyontae Johnson Organizations: Service, Business, Rankin County School District, Rankin County School, British, of Sports Medicine, New Hampshire Public Radio, University of Southern, USC, CNN, NCAA Men's Division, Oklahoma City Thunder, University of Florida Locations: Mississippi, Rankin, Maine, New, Pinson , Alabama, Scottsdale , Arizona, University of Southern California

☆ Senators call on federal regulators to review Navy Federal mortgage disparities, citing CNN investigation
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-11 | by ( Casey Tolan | Rene Marsh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

In a letter to the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, ten Democratic U.S. senators asked the regulators to investigate Navy Federal Credit Union’s mortgage lending for compliance with federal anti-discrimination laws. The credit union, which has more than 13 million members, lends to military servicemembers, defense personnel, veterans, and their families. “Navy Federal’s members have made countless sacrifices in their service to our country,” the senators wrote in the letter. The credit union declined to provide CNN any additional data that would make it possible to analyze those factors. Navy Federal has not yet responded to the lawsuits in court.

Persons: Sen, Sherrod Brown, Ron Wyden, Mary McDuffie, Emanuel Cleaver, Steven Horsford, Hakeem Jeffries, ”, Maxine Waters, Ben Crump – Organizations: CNN, Department of Housing, Urban Development, Consumer Financial Protection, Democratic U.S, Navy, Credit, Banking, Finance, Congressional Black Caucus, Federal, “, Navy Federal, Financial Services Locations: Ohio, Oregon, “ Navy, Virginia

Al Sharpton, founder and president of the National Action Network, each placed an arm around Bettersten Wade as she stood before her son's flower-covered casket under a large cross in the sanctuary. Jackson is majority-Black, has a Black mayor and majority-Black city council and has had Black police chiefs for years, including the chief when Wade was killed. Sharpton said Monday that he had been told that the officer who struck and killed Wade was Black. The Hinds County coroner’s office said it called a number listed for Bettersten Wade but did not hear back. City officials have said the communication breakdown was an accident.

Persons: JACKSON, — Dexter Wade, Bettersten Wade, “, ” Dexter Wade, Wade, Wade’s, Ben Crump, Crump, Wade's, ” Crump, ”, Bennie Thompson, Al Sharpton, Sharpton, Jackson, Dexter, ” Sharpton, Black Organizations: Jackson Police Department, Police, Penal, Justice Department, Jackson, U.S . Rep, New Horizon International, National Action Network, NBC News Locations: Miss, Mississippi's, Jackson, Hinds, Raymond, New York, Mississippi, Black, Hinds County

It was just after 1 p.m. when the first of three artillery shells shrieked past Maryna Korifadze’s bomb shelter in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, landing nearby with a bone-rattling crump. Her regular crowd of neighbors, some with children in tow, shuffled down the basement stairs and into the bunker. The younger crowd started playing table tennis in the next room. “Sometimes it’s between 20 and 30 people a night here,” Ms. Korifadze said. More than 20 months since Russia invaded, the war in Ukraine has been a test of endurance for the country’s civilians as they endure relentless Russian bombardments and missile strikes.

Persons: crump, Ms, Korifadze Locations: Ukrainian, Kherson, Russia, Ukraine

☆ Thousands of Black women claim hair relaxers gave them cancer
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( Reuters Graphic | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +12 min

Some of the ads show Black women applying hair products before cutting to a summary of the NIH study’s findings. “We do not believe the science supports a link between chemical hair straighteners or relaxers and cancer,” Revlon said. Lead author White said in a statement in response to Reuters questions that there is currently no strong evidence linking family history of breast cancer to increased risk of uterine cancer. The sisters said they wanted their mother’s death last year following a battle with uterine cancer to mean something. Bush, the St. Louis cosmetologist, joined the litigation in August, she said, because of the possibility that hair relaxers cause cancer.

Persons: Sheila Bush, Bush, Revlon’s, ” Revlon, L’Oreal, ”, Ben Crump, George Floyd, Diandra, ” Debrosse Zimmerman, Jenny Mitchell, Crump, “ it’s, ” Crump, Louis, Jayne Conroy, don’t, Adam Zimmerman, Alexandra White, phthalates, White, Weiss, Porter Kaye Scholer, Jennifer Hoekstra, Zimmerman, “, X Ante, Quiana Hester, Ariana, Nakisha, Patrice Hester, Louis cosmetologist, Mike Spector, Richa Naidu, Kristina Cooke, Diana Novak Jones, Eve Watling, Lawrence Bryant, Alicia Powell, Angela Johnston, Lucy Ha, Vanessa O’Connell, Suzanne Goldenberg Organizations: L’Oreal, Revlon, U.S, National Institutes of Health, Reuters, NIH, Supreme, University of Southern California Gould School of Law, U.S . House, American Cancer Society, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, World Health Organization, Paul, Arnold, FDA, USC, Washington DC Locations: Louis, Olive, U.S, India, Minneapolis, Missouri, Chicago, United States, Rifkind, Baltimore, Houston, Washington, San Diego, Bush

☆ Calls mount for federal investigation of Mississippi police in Dexter Wade's death
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Al Sharpton are asking the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate Wade's death and the Jackson police's handling of it, saying the police failed to notify the family. The last time Wade's mother saw her son was on March 5, when he left her home in the evening, NBC News reported last week. NBC cited interviews with Wade's family members and documents obtained via public records requests, including a crash report, incident reports and coroner’s office records. The investigator said he called Wade's mother and could not get through, and then passed the information to the Jackson Police Department so it could notify Wade's next of kin of his death, NBC reported. Wade's mother filed a missing person report on March 14 and said she nagged the department and begged for help finding her son on Facebook for months, NBC reported.

Persons: Ben Crump, Eduardo Munoz, Dexter Wade, Benjamin Crump, Al Sharpton, Jackson, Wade's, Wade, Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, Rev, Gabriella Borter, Aurora Ellis Organizations: REUTERS, U.S . Department of Justice, NBC News, NBC, Jackson Police Department, The Jackson Police Department, Jackson Mayor, Department, National Action Network, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, Mississippi, Jackson, Hinds County, Hinds, Wade

[1/2] Desmond Mills Jr. with attorney Blake Ballin stand as five former Memphis police officers who have been charged in the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols attend an arraignment hearing at Shelby County courthouse in Memphis, Tennessee, U.S., February 17, 2023. REUTERS/Karen Pulfer Focht/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 1 (Reuters) - One of the five former Memphis police officers charged in the death of Black motorist Tyre Nichols has asked a U.S. District Court judge to change his plea of not guilty in the federal civil rights case, court records showed on Wednesday. The Daily Memphian, citing an interview with Ballin, said the plea would affect the state case against him. The officers also face a federal civil suit filed by civil rights lawyer Ben Crump on behalf of the family. The other officers charged in the case are Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Justin Smith and Tadarrius Bean.

Persons: Desmond Mills Jr, Blake Ballin, Tyre Nichols, Karen Pulfer Focht, Black, Mark Norris, Mills, Nichols, whacked, Ballin, Ben Crump, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Justin Smith, Tadarrius Bean, cuffed, Daniel Trotta, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Memphis, REUTERS, U.S, of, Police, The Memphis Police Department, Memphis Fire Department, Thomson Locations: Shelby County, Memphis , Tennessee, U.S, Western, of Tennessee

☆ Dexter Wade death: Family asks Justice Department for probe after Jackson police kill man, bury him without their knowledge
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Ryan Young | Kevin Conlon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Dexter Wade, 37, was reported missing by his mother on March 14 but she did not receive word that he was deceased until August 24. The Jackson Police Department, who confirmed that Wade was struck by a department vehicle, claimed there was no ill-intent in delaying the next-of-kin notification. Civil Rights Attorney Ben Crump, center, speaks alongside the family of Dexter Wade during a news conference in Jackson, Mississippi, on October 30, 2023. Jackson police said its efforts to notify Wade’s family were stymied by outdated contact information. Crump said in a news release that Wade’s current grave is marked “by a pole and number” in the field.

Persons: –, Dexter Wade, Wade, Jackson, Ben Crump, WAPT “, Wade’s, ”, “, ” Bettersten Wade, Mr, he’d, Crump, ” Crump Organizations: CNN, Jackson Police Department cruiser, Department of Justice, Jackson Police Department, Jackson police, Civil, ” Police Locations: Mississippi, Jackson , Mississippi

Leonard Allan Cure, 53, died on Monday after a Camden County sheriff's deputy shot him; the officer has not been officially identified. The Camden County Sheriff's Office said in a posting online the video was released because of rumors and misinformation, but did not elaborate. A representative for the sheriff's office did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment on Wednesday. The deputy later told Cure on the video that Cure was driving 100 miles per hour (160 kph) on Interstate 95 in southern Georgia. Cure's family watched the video Wednesday at a Georgia Bureau of Investigation office with their attorney just before it was released by Camden County, in southern Georgia.

Persons: Leonard Allan Cure, Cure, Ben Crump, Crump, Cure's, Wallace Cure, Rich McKay, Daniel Trotta, Noeleen Walder, Kat Stafford, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Chamber, Reuters, of Florida, Camden County sheriff's, Sheriff's, of, Thomson Locations: Georgia, Florida, Tallahassee , Florida, U.S, ATLANTA, Camden County, America, Camden, Atlanta, Carlsbad , California

"It's not going to be a matter of struggling to get the inflation rate higher. While higher interest rates are good news for savers, businesses and consumers have become used to paying nothing for money over the past 15 years. Reuters GraphicsREADING YIELDSA market-based Fed model that breaks down the 10-year Treasury yield into its components provides further insight into investors' thinking. This rise in term premium, which spent much of the last decade below zero, reflects high levels of uncertainty about economic outlook and monetary policy, investors said. While the market appears to be confident in its belief in the end of the era of zero interest rates, it is far less so about the economy's actual likely path.

Persons: Sarah Silbiger, Greg Whiteley, It's, Neel Kashkari, Kashkari, Adrian, Crump, Emanuel Moench, John Velis, Leslie Falconio, BNY's Velis, Velis, Paritosh Bansal, Anna Driver 私 Organizations: Eccles Federal Reserve, Washington , D.C, REUTERS, Treasury, Federal Reserve, York Fed, Minneapolis, Moench, Frankfurt School of Finance, Management, Americas, BNY Mellon, UBS Global Wealth Management, San, San Francisco Fed Locations: Washington ,, U.S, DoubleLine, San Francisco

☆ Video shows old Russian tank with a ridiculously tall 'cope cage' defense on top
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A strange video from the war in Ukraine showed a modified old tank. The footage seemed to show a T-54 or T-55 with a huge "cope cage" on top. AdvertisementAdvertisementA recent video shows a weird moment from the fighting in Ukraine — a Russian tank with an enormous example of a so-called "cope cage" on top. Early model T-54/55 sporting an impressively tall cope cage in Russian service. AdvertisementAdvertisementA recent report by the respected Royal United Services Institute suggested that Russia's old tanks were still proving useful in some scenarios.

Persons: —, OSINTtechnical, Cope, Sibylline, Justin Crump Organizations: Service, Center for Naval Analyses, Royal United Services Institute Locations: Ukraine, Ukraine —, Russian, Russia

NEW YORK (AP) — A grant program for businesses run by Black women was temporarily blocked by a federal appeals court in a case epitomizing the escalating battle over corporate diversity policies. Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily prevents the Fearless Fund from running the Strivers Grant Contest, which awards $20,000 to businesses that are at least 51% owned by Black women, among other requirements. In a statement Sunday, the Atlanta-based Fearless Fund said it would comply with the order but remained confident of ultimately prevailing in the lawsuit. “We strongly disagree with the decision and remain resolute in our mission and commitment to address the unacceptable disparities that exist for Black women and other women of color in the venture capital space,” the Fearless Fund said. The Fearless Fund has enlisted prominent civil rights lawyers, including Ben Crump, to defend against the lawsuit.

Persons: Edward Blum, “, Thomas W, program's, ” Blum, Judge Charles R, Wilson, Ben Crump, ” Organizations: Circuit, American Alliance for Equal Rights, Civil, U.S, District Locations: Atlanta, Black, U.S .

Circuit Court of Appeals on a 2-1 vote granted a request by Edward Blum's American Alliance for Equal Rights to temporarily block Fearless Fund from considering applications for grants only from businesses led by Black women. Blum's group asked the court to do so while it appealed a judge's Tuesday ruling denying it a preliminary injunction blocking Fearless Fund from moving forward with its "racially exclusive program." Fearless Fund did not immediately respond to requests for comment. According to the Fearless Fund, businesses owned by Black women in 2022 received less than 1% of the $288 billion that venture capital firms deployed. It also provides grants, and Blum's lawsuit took aim at its Fearless Strivers Grant Contest, which awards Black women who own small businesses $20,000 in grants and other resources to grow their businesses.

Persons: Ben Crump, Arian Simone, Ayana Parsons, Mylan Denerstein, Alphonso David, Eduardo Munoz, Edward Blum's, Blum's, Grant, Robert Luck, Andrew Brasher, Thomas, Donald Trump, Blum, JPMorgan Chase, Strivers, Nate Raymond, Alexia Garamfalvi, Andrea Ricci Organizations: Fund, REUTERS, Supreme, Circuit, Edward Blum's American Alliance for Equal Rights, U.S, District, American Alliance for Equal Rights, Harvard University, University of North, JPMorgan, Bank of America, MasterCard, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, Atlanta, Texas, University of North Carolina, Black, Boston

☆ Ukraine appears to be modifying the UK Challenger 2 battle tanks to protect a 'notorious' weak spot, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-30 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ukraine is adding an extra piece of armor to its British Challenger 2 tanks to protect a weak spot. AdvertisementAdvertisementUkraine appears to have added extra armor to its British-made Challenger 2 to protect a weak spot on the 69-ton battle tank. The UK sent just 14 of the powerful tanks to Ukraine in January, used exclusively by Ukraine's powerhouse 82nd Air Assault Brigade. AdvertisementAdvertisementIn early September, footage appeared to show the first, and so far only, Challenger 2 tank to be destroyed in Ukraine. Other analysts have noted that quantity is more important than quality when supplying weaponry to Ukraine, including Challenger 2 tanks.

Persons: —, Forbes, Frobes, Taras Chmut, Justin Crump Organizations: British Challenger, Service, Challenger, Forbes, British Army, The, Air Assault Brigade, Wall Street Journal Locations: Ukraine, Dorchester, Russian

☆ What is hazing and how is it affecting student athletes in the US?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Athletic programs at Boston College, New Mexico State University and Northwestern University are just three US institutions that have been dealing with hazing allegations in 2023. That was the highest incidence of hazing among a student group or team, ahead of fraternities and sororities, in which 38.3% of respondents reported having experienced hazing. Recent examplesThere has been considerable fallout following allegations of hazing among college sports teams this year. The following week, attorneys representing at least 15 former Northwestern University student athletes announced plans to sue the university over allegations that its athletics department fostered a “toxic culture” which facilitated harassment and sexual abuse. Former Northwestern University football player Ramon Diaz is suing the school over hazing and racism allegations.

Persons: CNN —, –, Plato, Hank Nuwer, Pennalism, Nuwer, ”, Pat Fitzgerald, Fitzgerald, Joe Robbins, Michael Schill, Schill, Ben Crump, Ramon Diaz, Claire Savage, Jon Yates, “, Greg Heiar, Stone Organizations: Lifeline, CNN, Boston College, Boston College , New Mexico State University, Northwestern University, Collegiate Athletic Association, Journal, Student Affairs Research, “, Northwestern Wildcats, Ohio State Buckeyes, Wildcats, Former Northwestern University, New Mexico State University, Bowling Green Locations: Boston College ,, Ancient Greece, Athens, Europe, Northwestern, New, Montana , Wyoming, South Dakota, New Mexico, Alaska, Hawaii, Ohio

Those lawsuits accuse all three of violating Section 1981 of the 1866 Civil Rights Act, a law enacted after the Civil War that guarantees all people the same right to make and enforce contracts "as is enjoyed by white citizens." "All of our nation's civil rights laws - including the 1866 Civil Rights Act - enshrine the command that someone's race and ethnicity must never be used to help or harm them in public and private employment and contracting," Blum, who is white, told Reuters in an email. FREE SPEECH ARGUMENTFearless Fund has brought in prominent lawyers to defend it, including civil rights attorneys Ben Crump and Alphonso David, who during a news conference called Blum's use of the Civil War-era law "cynical." They argue that the rules for the grants are merely criteria for being eligible for a "discretionary gift" and do not create a "contract" subject to the civil rights law. Blum's group countered that Fearless Fund's argument would ironically undermine the very causes it favors by essentially invalidating Section 1981 and deeming racial discrimination protected by the First Amendment.

Persons: Edward Blum, Morrison, Foerster, Edward Blum's, Thomas, Fearless Fund's, Bill Clinton, Blum, Sarah Hinger, Hinger, Keshia Knight Pulliam, Arian Simone, Ayana Parsons, Blum's, Strivers, Ben Crump, Alphonso David, Nate Raymond, Alexia Garamfalvi, Will Dunham Organizations: Fair, Harvard University, Supreme, Edward Blum's American Alliance for Equal Rights, University of North, U.S, District, Democratic, Reuters, American Civil, Racial, Thomson Locations: Boston , Massachusetts, U.S, University of North Carolina, Atlanta, Black, Blum's Texas, Colorado, Boston

☆ Gershun Freeman: Nine Memphis deputies charged in death of Black man
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Brendan O'Brien | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The parents of another man beaten in Memphis, Tyre Nichols, are in the center. "Let me be clear, no actions by any Shelby County Sheriff's Office employee caused Mr. Freeman's death ... I stand with these officers," Bonner said during the news conference, adding that the medical examiner determined that Freeman died from a pre-existing heart condition. The case has garnered more national attention since the Jan. 7 beating death of another Black man, Tyre Nichols, by Memphis police officers who are now charged with murder. Nashville-Davidson County District Attorney Glenn Funk is handling the case against the officers after Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy recused himself.

Persons: Ben Crump, Gershun Freeman, Tyre Nichols, Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner, Bonner, Freeman, Black, Glenn Funk, Steve Mulroy, Mulroy, Brendan O'Brien, Chizu Organizations: Shelby County Sheriff, Sheriff's, Memphis, Nashville, Thomson Locations: Shelby, Memphis , Tennessee, U.S, Memphis, Shelby County, Davidson, Chicago

But the Fearless Fund is a tiny player in the approximately $200 billion global venture capital market. Less than 1% of venture capital funding goes to businesses owned by Black and Hispanic women, according to the nonprofit advocacy group Digitalundivided. The lawsuit against the Fearless Fund was filed by Edward Blum, the conservative activist who filed the affirmative action cases before the Supreme Court. Fearless Fund has invested more than $2 million in Thirteen Lune, founded by Nyako Griego. The combined share of venture capital funding received by Black and Latina founders briefly surpassed 1% in 2021 before dipping back below that threshold in 2022, according to Digitalundivided.

Persons: ”, Arian Simone, it's, Simone, ” Simone, Fearless, Edward Blum, Blum, ” Blum, Ben Crump, Marc Rosen, Thirteen, Sephora, Kohl's, Rosen, They’re, ” Rosen, Nyako Griego, George Floyd, Morgan Chase, Associated Press Retail Writers Anne D'Innocenzio, Haleluya Hadero Organizations: Fearless Fund, Black, Associated Press, Civil, American Alliance, Equal, AP, Fund, Court, Latina, Bank of America, Mastercard, Associated Press Retail Writers Locations: Atlanta, Texas, Florida, U.S, Lune

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