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Category: World & Nation

Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

Vance and Walz Begin Cordially but End in Heated Clashes Over Trump, Jan. 6, and National Policy Issues

Republican Senator JD Vance of Ohio and Democratic Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota, faced off in the only vice presidential debate of the 2024 election on Tuesday night, which began with a measured tone but eventually escalated into a combative exchange. The debate, which CBS News hosted at their Broadcast Center in New York and Norah O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan moderated, covered a range of important national issues, with Vance’s connections to former President Donald Trump and the January 6 uprising emerging as key flashpoints.

Stefi Mar October 8, 2024
Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

President Biden Orders Immediate Deployment of 1,000 Troops to Aid Hurricane Helene Recovery Efforts

President Joe Biden announced on Wednesday the immediate deployment of 1,000 active-duty troops to assist in the response and recovery efforts following Hurricane Helene’s catastrophic impact. The troops, from Fort Liberty, North Carolina, are tasked with delivering critical supplies, including food and water, to the hardest-hit areas. The White House claims that the deployment will improve FEMA’s capacity to reach communities cut off by floodwaters and debris as the administration steps up its assistance for those who are storm-affected.

Stefi Mar October 8, 2024
African Americans
Stefi Mar

Prescription Drug Price Hikes Hit Black Americans Hardest as Biden Pushes for Reform

The fight to lower prescription drug prices is hitting African Americans especially hard. A recent report by Patients for Affordable Drugs reveals that pharmaceutical companies have increased prices on more than 1,000 prescription drugs this year, nearly half of those price hikes exceeding the inflation rate. For many Black and Latino patients, especially those aged 65 and over, the rising costs are becoming unbearable.

Stefi Mar October 8, 2024
Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

Breaking Barriers: Ovarian Cancer Study Expanded to Africa

Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers Dr. Sophia George and Dr. Matthew Schlumbrecht are leading an ambitious study focused on ovarian cancer treatment for women of African descent. Their work, based at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, aims to address a critical gap in cancer research: the underrepresentation of Black women in clinical trials, specifically for the drug niraparib.

Stefi Mar October 8, 2024
Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

New York City Mayor Eric Adams Criminally Indicted

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been criminally indicted, becoming the first sitting mayor in the city’s history to face such charges. Federal prosecutors announced the indictment late Wednesday, September 26. NBC News reported that the charges mark a pivotal moment in Adams’s tumultuous tenure, which high-level resignations and a series of federal investigations have plagued.

Stefi Mar October 1, 2024
Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

Marcellus Williams’ Death: Political Execution of a Black Man Carried Out by the Supreme Court

In a damning display of justice gone wrong, Marcellus Williams, a Missouri death row inmate, was executed, despite overwhelming evidence suggesting his innocence. His death by lethal injection has sparked outrage, with the blame falling squarely on the shoulders of former President Donald Trump, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Missouri Governor Mike Parson, and the conservative U.S. Supreme Court justices who refused to halt the execution.

Stefi Mar October 1, 2024
Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

Biden-Harris Administration Unveils Major New Steps to Curb Gun Violence and Save Lives Executive Order Targets Emerging Firearm Threats and Enhances School Safety

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris announced sweeping new measures to combat gun violence in America today, marking a significant escalation in the administration’s ongoing efforts to reduce firearm-related deaths. Central to this initiative is a new Executive Order that directs federal agencies to address the rising threats posed by machinegun conversion devices and 3D-printed firearms and to improve the effectiveness of school-based active shooter drills.

Stefi Mar October 1, 2024
Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

National Crime Plummets, Defying Perception of a Crime Wave

The latest FBI data on Monday, September 23, 2024, revealed a significant drop in national crime rates from 2022 to 2023, contradicting widespread public perception of a crime wave. According to the FBI’s annual “Summary of Crime in the Nation,” violent crime fell by 3%, while property crime decreased by 2.4%.

Stefi Mar October 1, 2024
African Americans
Stefi Mar

Prescription Drug Price Hikes Hit Black Americans Hardest as Biden Pushes for Reform

The fight to lower prescription drug prices is hitting African Americans especially hard. A recent report by Patients for Affordable Drugs reveals that pharmaceutical companies have increased prices on more than 1,000 prescription drugs this year, nearly half of those price hikes exceeding the inflation rate. For many Black and Latino patients, especially those aged 65 and over, the rising costs are becoming unbearable.

Stefi Mar October 1, 2024
Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

New Study Reveals Racial Disparities in Breast Cancer Mortality Rates Across All Tumor Subtypes

Despite advancements in early detection and innovative treatments, Black women in the United States face higher mortality rates from breast cancer compared to white women. A systematic review and meta-analysis led by Mass General Brigham Integrated Health Care System sheds light on the extent of these disparities across different breast cancer subtypes.

Stefi Mar September 24, 2024
Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

NAACP Urgently Calls on Missouri Governor to Halt Execution of Marcellus Williams

The NAACP has issued an emergency call to Missouri’s Republican Gov. Mike Parson to stop the execution of Marcellus Williams, a Black man on death row who has consistently maintained his innocence. In an open letter, NAACP President Derrick Johnson and Missouri State Conference President Nimrod Chapel Jr. warned that executing Williams would be a “horrible miscarriage of justice” and a reflection of Missouri’s troubled racial history.

Stefi Mar September 24, 2024
Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

Head Start Is a Jump Start for Women’s Economic Security

Since 1964, the Head Start program has been a lifeline for generations of women and families, providing free, high-quality educational, health, social-emotional, and nutritional services and opening doors to opportunity and economic justice that had long been kept shut. Now, as Head Start approaches its 60th anniversary, it’s a great time to look back on all that the program has achieved — and look forward to what our country could look like if Head Start was strengthened.

Stefi Mar September 24, 2024
Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

Justice Department Opens Civil Rights Investigation Into Rankin County Sheriff’s Department

The U.S. Department of Justice launched a civil rights investigation into Rankin County, Mississippi, and the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD). The probe will determine whether the RCSD engages in unconstitutional practices, including excessive force, unlawful stops, and racially discriminatory policing. Rankin County, which has a population of about 160,000, is located 30 minutes east of Jackson, the state capital.

Stefi Mar September 24, 2024
Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

Jury Selection Begins in Federal Trial of Memphis Officers Charged in Tyre Nichols’ Death

Jury selection began Monday, Sept. 9, in the federal trial of three former Memphis police officers charged with violating the civil rights of Tyre Nichols, the 29-year-old Black man who died following a brutal beating by police in January 2023. The incident, captured on police cameras, ignited protests and calls for police reform nationwide.

Stefi Mar September 17, 2024
African Americans
Stefi Mar

Historic Celebration of Black Excellence at the White House

On Friday, September 13, the White House South Lawn transformed into a historic celebration of Black excellence, bringing together actors, authors, television personalities, journalists, writers, activists, and artists. The event marked the first time such a celebration exclusively dedicated to honoring the achievements of Black Americans took place on the White House grounds, outside the context of Black History Month, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, or Juneteenth.

Stefi Mar September 17, 2024
Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

Harris Dominates First Presidential Debate as Trump Struggles to Defend Record

Vice President Kamala Harris decisively took control of the first presidential debate against former President Donald Trump in Philadelphia on Tuesday night, delivering a performance that put Trump on the defensive for much of the evening. Moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis of ABC News kept a tight handle on the debate, significantly improving from CNN’s June handling of Trump and President Joe Biden.

Stefi Mar September 17, 2024
Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

U.S. Economy Adds 142,000 Jobs in August; Unemployment Rate Falls to 4.2%, Biden Hails Progress

According to the most recent Bureau of Labor Statistics data, the U.S. economy added 142,000 nonfarm payroll jobs in August, less than the 165,000 economists had predicted. While the job growth missed forecasts, the unemployment rate dropped to 4.2% from July’s 4.3%, suggesting continued strength in the labor market under the Biden-Harris administration.

Stefi Mar September 10, 2024