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Juan Diego Reyes for NBC NewsLara Trump, co-chair of the Republican National Committee and daughter-in-law of the former president, was among the speakers. There were no rainbow flags in the half-empty Charlotte ballroom where the Trump UNITY event took place. Headliners have included conservative influencers, Republican officials and Trump family members Lara Trump, Donald Trump Jr. and Marla Maples, the former president’s second wife. Trump has not attended any of the LGBTQ-led Trump UNITY events himself. In his speech on Tuesday, Grenell said that none of the speakers were paid to speak at the Trump UNITY events.

Persons: CHARLOTTE, Donald Trump, “ I’m, ”, Gage West, “, Lara Trump, Juan Diego Reyes, NBC News Lara Trump, didn’t, Trump, influencers, Donald Trump Jr, Marla Maples, Andrew Wheeler, Matthew Whitaker, National Intelligence Ric Grenell, Matt Gaetz, Aaron Schock, Richard Grenell, Trump’s, Grenell, Bill White, ” White, NBC News White, Don Webber, We’ve, ” Webber, ” Don Webber, NBC News Rob Smith, Black, ” Smith, Smith, ” Charles Moran, Rob Smith, “ It’s, ” Moran, Moran, Kamala Harris, Brandon Wolf, Harris, ” Wolf, Biden, Kamala Harris ’, NBC News Harris, Sam Alleman, “ Donald Trump’s, fundraised, Melania Trump Organizations: NBC News, Republican National Committee, RNC, NBC News Trump, Republican, Environmental Protection Agency, National Intelligence, Trump, NBC, Charlotte, ”, Black Trump, Conservative, Gallup, U.S ., Democratic Locations: N.C, Charlotte, Georgia , Wisconsin, Michigan, Congress, Palm, U.S, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Arizona, Nevada

☆ Former Avenue employee accused of 'blackmailing' billionaire Marc Lasry countersues, claiming sexual harassment including forced kissing, groping, and comments about her body
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-24 | by ( Bradley Saacks | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Gina Strum, the former Avenue Capital employee accused of blackmailing her boss, countersued. AdvertisementIn response to Avenue Capital's lawsuit against her, former fundraiser Gina Strum has countersued, accusing her former bosses, including billionaire Marc Lasry, of sexual harassment and gender discrimination. A spokesperson for Avenue said: "Ms. Strum's allegations are completely false and represent her further attempt to malign the reputations of Mr. Lasry, Ms. Gardner, and Avenue for financial gain." Related storiesUnlike Lasry's suit, which accused Strum of "blackmailing" him, Strum's lawsuit does not include extensive written evidence, such as texts or emails of the harassment. AdvertisementOther eye-catching bits of Strum's suit include accusations that Lasry:

Persons: Gina Strum, Marc Lasry, —, Sonia Gardner, Daniel Kaiser, CK Hoffler, Jesse Jackson, Lasry —, Strum, Lasry, Gardner, Strum —, Jane, Martin Gantz, Lasry's Organizations: Capital, Service, Avenue, Milwaukee Bucks, Lasry, New York Locations: New York, Instagram, New York City

☆ Elizabeth Kelly, AI Safety Institute Director, Sets AI Safety Standards
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-24 | by ( Rosalie Chan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Kelly directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology's recently created US AI Safety Institute, a group of top computer scientists and ethicists tasked with studying and addressing AI risks, particularly in relation to areas of national security, civil rights, and general public safety. It's expected to introduce testing standards for AI developers to make sure their systems are safe. Kelly, part of Business Insider's 2024 AI Power List, helped shape President Joe Biden's technology policy and assisted in drafting his executive order last year that focused on issues related to AI safety. Before that, Kelly was a special assistant to the president of the National Economic Council, where she led efforts in technology policy, including in AI. See Business Insider's full AI Power List

Persons: Kelly, Joe Biden's Organizations: National Institute of Standards, Safety Institute, National Economic Council, Capital

☆ 2024 WNBA season: A historic year for women’s basketball, both on and off the court
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-24 | by ( Thomas Schlachter | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

CNN —With confetti falling from the rafters, a boisterous Brooklyn crowd bellowing and the victorious New York Liberty celebrating, the curtain fell on the 2024 WNBA season. ‘The perfect storm’The latest edition of the WNBA season had all the hallmarks for booming success, with all the pieces falling into place almost serendipitously. The Fever superstar also set rookie season records for both points and three-pointers made and became the first rookie to get a triple-double. Las Vegas Aces star A'ja Wilson was named WNBA MVP for the third time following the 2024 season. It’s super exciting and kind of crazy to say that.”The New York Liberty beat the Minnesota Lynx to win the 2024 WNBA Finals at Barclays Center.

Persons: LaChina Robinson, Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, it’s, ’ ” Robinson, Robinson, –, agonizingly, Liberty –, Sarah Stier, ” Robinson, “ I’m, “, Chelsea Gray, Charisma Osborne, ” Osborne, They’ve, Clark, Reese, A’ja Wilson, Darron Cummings, Osborne, “ It’s, UConn’s irrepressibly, Paige Bueckers, Wilson, “ We’ve, ”, A'ja Wilson, Kirby Lee, they’ve, Maya Moore, Diana Taurasi, we’ll, Wendell Cruz, Gray, I’ve Organizations: CNN, New York Liberty, WNBA, CNN Sport, Minnesota Lynx, Liberty, Barclays Center, Phoenix Mercury, Aces, ESPN, UCLA, Indiana, Chicago Sky, Sky, Las Vegas Aces, USA, Sports, Reuters, YouTube, Area Locations: Brooklyn, Nevada

President Donald Trump did nothing but show respect to my family & Vanessa. In fact, I voted for President Trump today,” she posted. He said Trump showed the family respect by "standing against the military complex" and supporting the Guillén family. "They didn't want to get to the bottom of the investigation, and President Trump brought awareness to that, and he didn't have to do that," Muniz said. She represents the very best of the Mexican American and Latino community.”

Persons: Donald Trump, Vanessa Guillén, Trump, Mark Meadows, Alex Pfeiffer, Mayra Guillén, ”, Natalie Khawam, Khawam, Pfeiffer, Guillén, Fort, Vanessa Guillen, Joe Biden, Joaquin Castro, “ Trump, ” Trump, Gonzalo Curiel’s, Curiel, Hurricane Maria, Kamala Harris, Artemio Muniz, Mayra, Muniz, Jason Villalba, he’s, “, ’ ”, Villalba, Trumper, ” Villalba, Domingo Garcia, Harris, Garcia, LULAC, Felix Longoria, Hector P, Rep, Sylvia Garcia, Vanessa, ” Garcia Organizations: Trump, Atlantic, White, NBC News, Army, Kabul Gold Star, League of United Latin American, LULAC, The, U.S, District, Trump University, Hurricane, NBC, Federation of Hispanic Republicans, Texas GOP, Texas Hispanic Public Policy Foundation, Republican, American GI, Mexican Locations: Afghanistan, Fort Hood, Cavazos, Texas, U.S, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Mexican American, American, Three Rivers , Texas, South Texas, Mexican

☆ Pizza chain sparks protests for doubling down on dessert referring to ex-D.C. Mayor Marion Barry and drug use
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-23 | by ( Juliana Valencia | Juliana Valencia Is An Emmy-Winning General Assignment Reporter For Nbc Washington | A Contributor To Telemundo | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Washington-based &Pizza promoted a new menu item Monday called Marion Berry Knots, a dessert with marionberries. &Pizza on U Street in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. A statue of the four-term mayor stands outside the Wilson Building downtown, and Southeast Washington has Marion Barry Avenue SE. D.C. Council member Marion Barry at the end of an unfinished streetcar line in the Anacostia neighborhood of Washington on Oct. 14, 2014. She “requested that the attorneys for the Estate of Marion Barry Jr. look into the matter and act accordingly,” the representative said.

Persons: Life ” Marion, Pizza, Marion Berry Knots, ”, Craig Hudson, Austin Lee, Mike Burns, that’s, ” Barry, Marion Barry, Barry, Evelyn Hockstein, Akosua Ali, Marion Barry’s, Ron Moten, ” Moten, Barry's, Cora Masters Barry, “, Marion Barry Jr, Peyton Sherwood Organizations: Protesters, D.C, Life, NBC Washington, Washington , D.C, The Washington, Getty, Pizza, Marion, FBI, Washington, Ward, NAACP Locations: WASHINGTON, Washington, Washington ,, Skyland, Southeast Washington, Wilson, Anacostia, Maryland , Virginia , New Jersey, Pennsylvania

☆ American Airlines fined $50 million for numerous disabled passenger rules violations
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-23 | by ( Pete Muntean | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The federal government is slapping American Airlines with a $50 million fine after a multi-agency investigation uncovered repeat violations of the rules designed to protect airline passengers who use wheelchairs. The investigation by the Department of Transportation aided by the Justice Department’s civil rights division found that American made “numerous serious violations” of disabled passenger rules between 2019 and 2023. “These problems are not unique to American Airlines, and allegations of wheelchair mishandling and inadequate wheelchair assistance are far too common,” said the Department of Transportation announcement. “DOT has active investigations into similar violations at other US airlines.”Buttigieg said the fine is the largest ever of its type. If the agency finds that American does not meet that requirement, it will fine it the airline the remaining $25 million.

Persons: Pete Buttigieg, ” Buttigieg, ” Organizations: CNN, American Airlines, Department of Transportation, Justice, Transportation, American

California, Colorado and Hawaii will soon allow their residents to vote on ballot measures that would remove language from their state constitutions prohibiting same-sex marriage. The landmark 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges ruling, guaranteeing same-sex couples across the country the right to marry, makes these state bans unenforceable. However, these ballot measures seek to proactively protect these marriage rights should Obergefell ever be overturned. Without Obergefell, there is federal legislation that would keep same-sex marriage rights mostly, but not entirely, intact: the Respect for Marriage Act. It’s a personal issue for LGBTQ couples who had to navigate a time when same-sex marriage wasn’t legal or straightforward.

Persons: Roe, Wade, Hodges, Paul Smith, Lawrence, Dobbs, “ We’ve, ”, don’t, ” Smith, Clarence Thomas ’, Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Erin Schaff, Griswold, ” Thomas, Alito, Donald Trump, Mary Bonauto, Obergefell, ” Bonauto, Smith, Joe Biden, Bonauto, there’s, …, “, —, ” Susy Bates, It’s Organizations: . Texas, Jackson, Health Organization, . Connecticut, Republican, Movement Advancement Locations: California , Colorado, Hawaii, Georgetown, ., Washington, Lawrence, New York

☆ Relatives of victims and survivors give emotional accounts of Georgia’s Sapelo Island dock gangway collapse
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-22 | by ( Rebekah Riess | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Emotional accounts from relatives of the victims and survivors of the partial collapse of a boat dock gangway on Georgia’s Sapelo Island and a newly released video of the frantic rescue efforts paint a dramatic picture of Saturday’s incident. The seven victims were among the dozens of people who traveled to Sapelo Island last weekend to celebrate the Gullah-Geechee, a community of descendants of Africans who were enslaved on coastal plantations in the South. Yvette Jackson, one of the seniors on a family trip visiting Sapelo Island, barely made it across the gangway before the collapse and said at Tuesday’s news conference, “It was the most horrific thing I have ever experienced.”A portion of the gangway that collapsed Saturday afternoon remains visible on Sapelo Island in McIntosh County, Georgia, on October 20, 2024. “I just stood there, looking down in that water and saw all those people.”“And then it hit me, Regina, Regina, where’s Regina? “Nobody knows what it’s like to go under the water and let somebody help you out and bring you out.

Persons: Ben Crump, ” Crump, “, Natalie Jackson, ’ ” Crump, Yvette Jackson, Lewis M, Levine, ” Katrena Alexander, Jackson’s, where’s Regina, ” Alexander, Regina Brinson, Brinson, Carlotta McIntosh, Isaiah Thomas, Miss Carlotta, ” Brinson, ”, Thomas, hadn’t, ” Pearl Davis, CNN’s Nick Valencia Organizations: CNN, Sinai Missionary Baptist Church, Georgia Department of Natural Resources Locations: Jacksonville , Florida, Georgia, Sapelo, McIntosh County , Georgia, Regina

☆ First openly transgender lawyer to argue at Supreme Court
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-21 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

An American Civil Liberties Union lawyer will make history in December as the first openly transgender attorney to argue before the U.S. Supreme Court, opposing Tennessee’s Republican-backed law banning gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors. The Supreme Court on Monday ordered that the argument time for the ban’s challengers be divided between the Justice Department and attorneys representing the original plaintiffs who sued the state. Several plaintiffs — including two transgender boys, a transgender girl and their parents — sued in Tennessee to defend the treatments they have said improved their happiness and wellbeing. The Supreme Court has confronted several cases in the past decade implicating LGBTQ rights. In 2020, it ruled that a landmark federal law forbidding workplace discrimination protects gay and transgender employees.

Persons: Chase Strangio, Joe Biden’s, Cecillia Wang, ” Wang, Strangio, Gavin Grimm, Chelsea Manning, —, “ Tennessee, Jonathan Skrmetti Organizations: American Civil Liberties Union, U.S, Supreme, Republican, Justice Department, ACLU, HIV, Department, Circuit Locations: Strangio, Virginia, Tennessee, Constitution’s, “, Cincinnati, Washington

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday rejected disbarred lawyer Michael Cohen’s last-ditch effort to revive a civil rights claim against his former boss Donald Trump. But constitutional claims against individual federal officials are notoriously difficult to bring as a result of a line of Supreme Court rulings. In a 2022 case called Egbert v. Boule, the Supreme Court effectively put “Bivens claims” on life support in a ruling that tossed out allegations against a Border Patrol agent. A federal judge in New York and the 2nd Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals both highlighted the Supreme Court’s recent ruling in throwing out Cohen’s claims. Unless Congress passes legislation to allow a form of Bivens claims, there are few legal avenues to seeking accountability when federal officials, including thousands of law enforcement officials, commit unlawful acts.

Persons: WASHINGTON —, Michael Cohen’s, Donald Trump, Cohen, Trump, Egbert, “ Bivens, ”, Bivens Organizations: Trump, NBC News, Federal Bureau of Narcotics, Border Patrol, 2nd Circuit U.S Locations: New York

☆ Sapelo Island ferry resumes operations after deadly boat dock gangway collapse
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-21 | by ( Nicole Chavez | Michelle Watson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —A ferry connecting an island off the coast of Georgia resumed operations Monday while the investigation to see what might have caused a deadly dock collapse that killed seven people continues. “Our hearts continue to go out to the victims, their families, and all of those involved in Saturday’s tragic occurrence on Sapelo Island,” said Walter Rabon, the department’s commissioner. Febury Hassan/Caring Connection Chaplaincy/Zelda Johnson/William Johnson Sr./John Thomas/Impact Church“He was a real, laid back, humble guy,” his son, Jeff Thomas, told CNN. “Sapelo Island itself is a jewel within Georgia,” he said. The event honors Geechee traditions and has “entertainers, vendors, and special guests, including Island descendants” according to the Sapelo Island Cultural and Revitalization Society.

Persons: ”, Walter Rabon, Ben Crump, ” Crump, ‘, Melvin Amerson, Jacqueline Crews Carter, Cynthia Gibbs, William Johnson Jr, Carlotta McIntosh, Isaiah Thomas, Queen Welch, Charles L, Welch, Johnson Jr, William Johnson Sr, ” Johnson, ’, Zelda, “, Zelda Johnson, Thomas, Charles Houston, Febury Hassan, John Thomas, Jeff Thomas, Thomas ’, Catherine Sneed, ” Sneed, Vanessa Jordan, Deacon Randall Jordan, Gibbs, Jordan, McIntosh, ” Febury Hassan, ” Hassan, Hassan, Roger Lotson, Lotson, ” Lotson, ” CNN’s Devon Sayers, Kia Fatahi, Zenebou Sylla Organizations: CNN, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, ”, US Air Force, Wellesley College, Impact Church, Revitalization Society Locations: Georgia, Jacksonville , Florida, Atlanta, Darien , Georgia, McIntosh County, Sapelo, ”, McIntosh

☆ Can Trump really defund public schools that recognize transgender students?
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-21 | by ( Dana Goldstein | Philip Cheung | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

In Los Angeles public schools, transgender students have equal access to facilities like bathrooms. Smaller amounts of federal money could also be withheld through presidential executive action. Still, Mr. Carvalho said he had no plans to rethink the district’s policy on gender identity, even if Mr. Trump is elected. The money contributes to the salaries of teachers, which can help lower class sizes in schools where students are struggling academically, Mr. Carvalho said. For some disabled students, federal dollars support personal aides who attend class alongside them.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Alberto Carvalho, Philip Cheung, Carvalho, ” Organizations: White, Los, The New York Times Locations: Los Angeles, Los Angeles and New York, Washington

☆ Civil rights coalition calls on Musk and Zuckerberg to take action against election disinformation
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-21 | by ( Brian Stelter | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —An umbrella organization of civil rights groups is alerting the public to “digital voting disinformation” and imploring social media companies to take action. Wiley’s coalition, representing more than 200 civil rights interest groups and other organizations, wants companies like Elon Musk’s X and Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta to more clearly separate fact from fiction. “Social media companies should be vigilant,” Wiley said, observing that information platforms don’t have to be overwhelmingly polluted. The Leadership Conference’s Center for Civil Rights and Technology decided to speak out after social networks were swamped with lies about Hurricanes Helene and Milton earlier this fall. The conduct of social media firms is of interest to civil rights groups; candidates and campaigns; government agencies; and election technology suppliers, just to name a few.

Persons: Maya Wiley, Elon, Zuckerberg’s Meta, ” Wiley, Musk, Donald Trump’s, Zuckerberg, Milton, ”, “ Organizations: New, New York CNN, Conference, Civil, Human, Wiley’s, Social, Republican, Conference’s Center for Civil Rights, Technology, Hurricanes, Dominion Voting Systems, Fox, Dominion, for Civil Rights Locations: New York, United States

“It is so visibly dehumanizing to actually criminalize such an act of humanity and dignity,” she said. Demonstrators at Saturday’s voting rights rally at Morehouse College. So, in this moment, we want to say that we are not going back.”The gathering also focused on the rights of disabled voters. “Black voters would be suppressed on the back of disabled voters. “The Voting Rights Act has been so attacked,” she said.

Persons: —, ”, Nicole Carty, ” Carty, Jim Crow, Martin Luther King, Senate runoffs, Brian Kemp, Matthew Johnson, Kamala Harris, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Curtis Bunn, Gerald Griggs, Dom Kelly, Kemp “, ” Kelly, “, squirrelly Organizations: ATLANTA, Morehouse College, Get, Democratic, Senate, Gov, Morehouse, Atlanta NAACP, Renaissance Guild, New Disabled, NBC, Civil Rights Movement, NAACP Locations: Georgia, Atlanta, Randolph County , Georgia

A South Carolina man was sentenced to life in prison Thursday for the murder of a Black transgender woman. Ritter was the first person tried and convicted under federal hate crime law for fatal violence against a trans person. Dime Doe was fatally stabbed in 2019. “With today’s sentencing, the defendant is being held accountable for the senseless murder of Dime Doe, a transgender woman of color. Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009, which expanded the federal hate crime statute to include gender, gender identity, sexual orientation and disability.

Persons: Daqua Lameek Ritter, Ritter, Doe, ” Benjamin C, Doe’s, ” Doe, Kristen Clarke, Clarke, Matthew Shepard, James Byrd Jr, Shepard, ” Clarke Organizations: Justice Department, Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, University of Wyoming, Human Rights, HRC Locations: Carolina, South Carolina, Laramie, Texas

☆ The government is getting fed up with ransomware payments fueling endless cycle of cyberattacks
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-18 | by ( Barbara Booth | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Zeroing in on cyber insurance as a key area for reform comes as the U.S. government scrambles to find ways to disrupt ransomware networks. For many organizations, deciding whether to pay a ransom is a difficult and urgent decision. The hacker group allegedly demanded a ransom to return the stolen data, though it remains unclear whether NPD paid it. Darren Williams, founder of BlackFog, a cybersecurity firm that specializes in ransomware prevention and cyber warfare, is firmly against paying ransoms. UnitedHealth Group experienced this firsthand after its subsidiary, Change Healthcare, was hit by the ALPHV/BlackCat ransom group in April 2023.

Persons: Anne Neuberger, James S, Ann Neuberger, scrambles, Paul Underwood, Underwood, Bryan Hornung, Hornung, I've, they'd, —, Ransom, LVHN, Darren Williams, BlackCat, LoanDepot Organizations: Brady, White, Washington , D.C, National Intelligence, FBI, Xact IT, Social, Lehigh Valley Health, Federal Trade Commission, NPD, Jerico, UnitedHealth Group, Change, Healthcare, LoanDepot Locations: Washington ,, what's, Pennsylvania, U.S

☆ ‘Everyone wants actual accountability,’ attorney for Tulsa Race Massacre survivors says as DOJ visits site
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-17 | by ( Omar Jimenez | Cindy Von Quednow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Department of Justice officials met with survivors and “first-generation descendants” of the massacre over the last two days, Solomon-Simmons said. The department announced it would launch a civil rights review into the massacre at the end of September. Solomon-Simmons said he and the survivors have high hopes for the investigation, which began in recent weeks. This week, DOJ officials also gathered evidence at the site of the massacre, according to Solomon-Simmons. Solomon-Simmons was flanked by survivors’ descendants and US Rep. Al Green of Texas, who has been an advocate for the families.

Persons: ”, Damario Solomon, Simmons, “, Solomon, they’ve, God, ” Solomon, Emmett, Kristen Clarke, Al Green of, Green, ” Green, Hughes Van Ellis, Viola Fletcher, Lessie Benningfield Randle, Ellis, Fletcher, Randle, Benningfield Randle, Mother Randle, Mother Fletcher Organizations: CNN, Department of Justice, of Justice, DOJ, Rep, Oklahoma Supreme, Capitol Locations: Tulsa, Oklahoma, Greenwood, Tulsa’s Greenwood, Al Green of Texas

☆ Parents sue their son's school for punishing his AI use, heralding a messy future
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-16 | by ( Joshua Nelken-Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Parents in Massachusetts are suing a school over their son being punished for using AI. AdvertisementThe parents of a Massachusetts teenager are suing his high school, claiming their son was unfairly punished for using AI, as educators grapple with how to handle the widespread use of AI. AdvertisementJennifer and Dale Harris filed the lawsuit last month against Hingham High School, its administrators, and the school district, in which they alleged the defendants imposed "arbitrary and capricious" discipline on their child. Harris said that she would like to see the school "put in place an AI policy that makes sense." Matthew Sag, a professor of law in AI, machine learning, and data science at Emory University Law School, told BI that the school handbook's outlined policy is "hopelessly vague and unfair."

Persons: —, they'd, Ryan Abbott, Jennifer, Dale Harris, Jennifer Harris, WCVB, WCBV, Harris, Matthew Sag, Sag, John Zerilli, Peter Farrell Organizations: Service, Study.com, University of Surrey, Hingham High School, National Honor Society, ACT, Stanford University, Stanford, Business, Artificial Intelligence, Emory University Law School, University of Edinburgh, Oxford Institute for Locations: Massachusetts, Hingham

☆ The US fined Lufthansa a record $4 million for discrimination after it stopped 128 Jewish passengers from boarding a connecting flight
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-16 | by ( Pete Syme | Joshua Nelken-Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Lufthansa was fined $4 million for discrimination over a 2022 incident involving over 100 Jewish passengers. 128 were denied boarding to a connecting flight after some were said to have misbehaved. AdvertisementLufthansa has been fined $4 million by the Department of Transportation after it was found to have discriminated against 128 Jewish passengers. After some people were said to have misbehaved on the first flight to Frankfurt, Lufthansa prevented 128 Jewish passengers — most of whom wore garments typically worn by Orthodox Jewish men — from boarding their connecting flight to Budapest, the DoT said. AdvertisementThe airline agreed to pay the $4 million fine, half of which consists of compensation it has already paid to the affected passengers.

Persons: —, Yitzy Schmidt, Pete Buttigieg Organizations: Lufthansa, Service, Department of Transportation, Transportation Department, BI, American Jewish Committee Locations: New York, Budapest, Frankfurt

There is no indication that the officers knew McAlpin was deaf or had cerebral palsy before his arrest. Harris’ body camera video shows him attempting to arrest McAlpin within seconds of exiting his vehicle. Harris tells Sue, “I think I broke my hand” and Harris says McAlpin had bitten him, the body camera video shows. Much of the interaction is captured on Harris’ body camera. McAlpin's wife arrives on the scene minutes later and tells the officers that he is deaf and has cerebral palsy, the body camera video shows.

Persons: Tyron McAlpin, Benjamin Harris, Kyle Sue, Jesse Showalter, McAlpin, Rachel Mitchell, Mitchell, ”, “, Harris, Sue, McAlpin didn’t, McAlpin’s, McAlpin “, Harris ’, “ Tase, Harris Tases McAlpin, Showalter, they’ll, “ Tyron, Andre Miller Organizations: Phoenix, Phoenix Police Department, Justice Department, Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, NBC News, Indian, NBC, Professional, The Arizona NAACP, Arizona State Conference NAACP Locations: Maricopa County, ”

Germany’s flagship airline has been fined $4 million by the U.S. Department of Transportation over allegations it discriminated against a group of Jewish passengers. The regulator said Tuesday that Lufthansa had prohibited 128 people wearing traditional Orthodox Jewish clothing from boarding for a connecting flight in Germany as they made their way from New York City to Budapest, Hungary, in May 2022. “Based on the alleged misconduct of some passengers,” DOT said, Lufthansa staff “treated them all as if they were a single group and denied them boarding,” despite many of the passengers not knowing each other nor traveling together. The penalty is the largest ever issued by the DOT against an airline for a civil rights violation. But the terrible, awful irony of it coming from the German national airline was outrageous.”

Persons: Pete Buttigieg, Deborah Lipstadt, Biden, ‘, ”, Lipstadt Organizations: U.S . Department of Transportation, Lufthansa, JFK, ”, Transportation, NBC News, American Jewish Committee, German Locations: Germany, New York City, Budapest, Hungary, ” U.S

☆ Case of citizen journalist arrested for seeking information is revived by Supreme Court
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-15 | by ( John Fritze | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The Supreme Court on Tuesday revived the case of a citizen journalist who was arrested in 2017 for seeking information from a police department source in Laredo, Texas. The court threw out a decision against the journalist and ordered the appeals court to look at the case again. And she now also has the backing of some of the nation’s best-known news brands, including The New York Times and The Washington Post, who are supporting her case at the Supreme Court. In an unsigned opinion, the court allowed the councilwoman’s case to continue. The Supreme Court did not explain its ruling and there were no noted dissents.

Persons: Priscilla Villarreal, ” Villarreal, Villarreal, “ Villarreal, Edith Jones, Ronald Reagan, “, Samuel Alito, Gonzalez Organizations: CNN, Facebook, Villarreal, The New York Times, Washington Post, Supreme, Laredo, Authorities, Border Patrol Locations: Laredo , Texas, Texas, Laredo

☆ Lufthansa fined for violating 128 Jewish passengers’ civil rights
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-15 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Lufthansa, Germany’s biggest airline, has been fined a record $4 million for discriminating against Jewish passengers, the US Department of Transportation announced Tuesday. The fine stems from a May 2022 incident in which the airline prohibited 128 Jewish passengers from boarding. The crew said that some passengers obstructed flight attendants in economy class from its on-board food and beverage service, “inconvenienced other passengers” and argued with the crew about wearing masks. The DOT said that Tuesday’s penalty is its largest ever issued by the federal agency for civil rights violations. “No one should face discrimination when they travel, and today’s action sends a clear message to the airline industry that we are prepared to investigate and take action whenever passengers’ civil rights are violated,” said US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in the release.

Persons: ”, “, Pete Buttigieg, Lufthsansa Organizations: New, New York CNN, Lufthansa, Germany’s, US Department of Transportation, DOT, CNN, American Jewish Committee Locations: New York, Frankfurt, Budapest

CNN —A record number of early votes have been cast in Georgia on Tuesday as residents headed to the polls in a critical battleground state that is grappling with the fallout from Hurricane Helene and controversial election administration changes that have spurred a flurry of lawsuits. More than 300,000 ballots were cast Tuesday, Gabe Sterling of the Georgia secretary of state’s office said on X. Georgia election officials say absentee ballots went out by the US Postal Service as scheduled and were not impacted by the storm. It’s also possible that the state could continue to see high numbers of early votes given that Georgia law now mandates two Saturdays of early voting and allows for two Sundays of early voting if a county desires. Legal fights continueMeanwhile, state judges are scrutinizing a number of new rules passed by the Trump-backed Republican majority on the State Election Board that Democrats warn could inject post-election “chaos” into the Georgia.

Persons: Hurricane Helene, Gabe Sterling, Sterling, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Trump, “, ”, Brad Raffensperger, It’s, Raffensperger, ” Raffensperger, Robert McBurney, McBurney, they'll, Harris, Fay Ainsworth, we’ve, Joseph Henry King Jr, Kareem Rosshandler, Jill Stein, “ We’ve, ” Rosshandler, Mounira Elsamra Organizations: CNN, Republican, Corine, US Postal Service, Biden, Trump, Peach State, Legal, Board, Democrats, GOP, Green Party, Israel, Electoral College Locations: Georgia, Hurricane, Atlanta, Corine Canada, Southeast . Georgia, Trump’s crosshairs, Peach, Fulton County

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