HOUSTON (AP) — Without major changes in almost every state, a national police misconduct database like what the White House and Congress have proposed after George Floyd's death would fail to account for thousands of problem officers. Lawmakers nationwide are struggling with how to reform policing following massive demonstrations, increased calls for change...
Tattoo Artist Sees Bump in Desire to Erase Hateful Skin Art
BELLOWS FALLS, Vt. — A Vermont tattoo artist who has long offered free removal or covering of hateful skin art like swastikas, SS lightning bolts or the words “white power” says he’s seen an uptick in business recently following George Floyd's death. Alexander Lawrence, who runs Mountainside Tattoo from a storefront in...
Plan Advances to Allow Dismantling Minneapolis Police Department
MINNEAPOLIS — The Minneapolis City Council on Friday unanimously advanced a proposal to change the city charter to allow the police department to be dismantled, following widespread criticism of law enforcement over the killing of George Floyd. The 12-0 vote is just the first step in a process that faces...
Unilever to Drop Terms Like 'Whitening' From Beauty Products
THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Consumer products giant Unilever said Thursday it is aiming for a “more inclusive vision of beauty” in its skin care products and will remove words such as “fair,” “whitening” and “lightening” from its products, a move that comes amid intense global debate about race sparked by...
Poll Shows Nearly All in US Back Criminal Justice Reform
WASHINGTON — Americans overwhelmingly want clear standards on when police officers may use force and consequences for officers who do so excessively, according to a new poll that finds nearly all Americans favor at least some level of change to the nation’s criminal justice system. The new poll from The...
3 Men, Including Sheriff's and DA's Employees, Probed for BLM Vandalism
THOUSAND OAKS — Three men including employees of a sheriff's office and district attorney's office in California have been arrested for investigation of the vandalism of a Black Lives Matter sign. The Ventura County Sheriff's Office said late Saturday that a large tarp painted with the letters “BLM” has been...
Why I (Almost) Put a BLM Bumper Sticker on My Car Even Though I Don’t Agree with the BLM Movement as a Whole
I was one of those people who said “Well of course black lives matter, but….” The problems I had (and still have) with several of the more radical organizations under the Black Lives Manner banner are substantial, and I think there are many parts of the movement that have destructive...
COVID-19 Can’t Keep Fresno From Honoring Juneteenth
Just because the traditional Fresno Juneteenth celebrations were canceled, didn't mean people couldn't party and protest. In a slightly condensed version, hundreds gathered in the triple-digit heat at Cultural Arts Park on Friday night to dance, mingle and protest. The refreshed Black Lives Matter movement took center stage, as speakers...
Baines Casts Wide Community Net for Police Reform Commission Members
Oliver Baines says he welcomes having 36 members serving with him on the Fresno Commission on Police Reform. "Anyone that wanted to serve on this commission, I pretty much said yes to. I felt like it was such an important moment in Fresno's history," Baines said Friday at City Hall....
Juneteenth: A Day of Joy and Pain – and Now National Action
In just about any other year, Juneteenth, the holiday celebrating the day in 1865 that all enslaved black people learned they had been freed from bondage, would be marked by African American families across the nation with a cookout, a parade, a community festival, a soulful rendition of “Lift Ev’ry...