AURN News

WASHINGTON (AURN News) - President Joe Biden issued a special proclamation this week commemorating the anniversary of Juneteenth, praising the date as marking both the end of slavery in America and the unfulfilled work of making the nation's promise of equality real for all. In the proclamation, Biden highlighted the events of June 19, 1865, when the Army arrived in Texas to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing the last remaining enslaved people in the former Confederacy over two years after it was initially issued.

"Today, we recognize that Juneteenth not only marks the end of America's original sin of slavery but also the beginning of the work at the heart and soul of our Nation: making the promise of America real for every American," the president stated.

Mr. Biden also pointed to economic progress made by Black Americans during his administration, noting record job and health insurance numbers as well as fast business ownership growth. He cited increased federal investment in Black communities, child poverty reduction, changes to home appraisal practices, and over $16 billion for historically Black colleges and universities.

"We are investing more money than ever in Black families and communities," Biden said, while acknowledging remaining disparities rooted in segregation and discrimination that his policies aim to address.

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(AURN News) - Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump continued his outreach to Black American voters this weekend, holding a roundtable discussion at a Black church in Detroit where he touted his record and took aim at President Joe Biden. Speaking at the 180 Church last weekend, Mr. Trump referenced accomplishments from his term that he claims had a positive impact on the Black community. He also name-dropped Republican Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, whose name has been floated as a potential running mate. However, Trump spent much of his remarks attacking President Biden.

"Biden wrote the devastating 1994 Crime Bill talking about 'super predators,'" Trump said. "That was Biden. You know, he walks around now talking about the Black vote. He's the king of the 'super predators.' And he wrote the 1994 crime bill that you talk about so much."

Trump also urged attendees not to support Democrats, saying: "So just please remember that when you think you're going to vote Democrat because you shouldn't vote Democrat."

The former president also claimed Biden's economic policies have harmed Black families and alleged illegal immigrants are taking jobs from Black workers. "Biden's inflation has caused the typical American family $28,000," he said.

"Millions of illegal aliens are pouring in and they're taking your jobs. The black community is being hurt more by the illegal aliens…They're taking your jobs you were…down 6%, 7% from where you were just three years ago with me."  

The roundtable event comes less than a month after he spent time in the Bronx at a campaign rally reaching out to Black and Hispanic voters.

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President Biden has announced new executive actions to provide relief for long-term undocumented immigrants, aiming to keep families together and ease the visa process for U.S. college graduates, including DREAMers.

The initiative will allow certain noncitizen spouses and children of U.S. citizens to apply for lawful permanent residence without leaving the country, benefiting approximately 550,000 people.

María Teresa Kumar, President of Voto Latino, praised the move, saying this relief will calm the fears of the estimated 15,000 U.S. citizens, children, and undocumented parents.

Additionally, the new measures will help DACA recipients and DREAMers with degrees from U.S. institutions to more quickly obtain work visas.

Biden emphasized the importance of both securing the border and providing lawful pathways for immigrants who contribute to American society.

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A severe heat wave is descending on large swaths of the United States this week, with excessive temperatures expected to break daily records in some areas, forecasters warned. The National Weather Service cautioned that "the first significant heat wave of the season" will bring above-average temperatures to the Midwest, Great Lakes, Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions over the next several days.

"A heat wave is quickly emerging ahead of a low pressure system from the central Plains, upper Midwest, and into the Ohio Valley," the NWS said. The federal forecasters also predicted that by Wednesday afternoon, interior parts of New England could top 100 degrees Fahrenheit, shattering daily records at certain locations.

As the extreme heat settles in, you are urged to take serious precautions. The website Ready.gov advises identifying cool indoor spaces like libraries and malls, seeking shade outdoors, staying hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids, and checking on vulnerable family members, older adults, and neighbors. Those who live in the various impacted regions should continue to monitor local weather forecasts closely and heed any additional guidance from authorities over the coming days. The heat is expected to persist through the end of the week for many areas.

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A new report from the Movement Advance Project (MAP) highlights the rise in anti-voter laws, making it harder to vote since 2020. Despite the high turnout in the 2020 election, 24 states have implemented restrictive policies, such as strict voter ID laws and withdrawing from the Electronic Registration Information Center.

Brian Hinkle, a senior voting policy researcher at MAP, warned that these changes could lead to voter confusion and disenfranchisement, especially among marginalized groups.

The report shows that 65 percent of Black adults now live in states with at least one restrictive voting law. On a positive note, 18 states have passed pro-voting laws, including state-level voting rights acts, to expand access to protect voters.

Hinkle emphasized the need for state protections in the absence of strong federal voting rights legislation.

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Maryland Governor Wes Moore has issued over 175,000 pardons for marijuana convictions, marking the most extensive state-level pardon in the country. The executive order aims to mitigate the past injustices of the war on drugs, specifically targeting misdemeanors that have affected tens of thousands of Maryland residents.

Advocates see the executive order as a significant step toward eliminating barriers to housing, employment, and education for individuals convicted of now-legal activities.

Gov. Moore highlighted that the pardons address long-standing racial disparities in cannabis arrests and noted the enduring negative impacts of such convictions on individuals’ lives. 

The pardons cover over 150,000 misdemeanor cannabis possession convictions and over 18,000 related paraphernalia offenses.

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"With deep pride and soberness, I will pardon over 175,000 convictions. All convictions related to the possession of cannabis and cannabis paraphernalia."

That was Maryland Governor Wes Moore on Monday morning announcing the pardoning of over 175,000 marijuana convictions aimed to rectify past injustices.

The action includes more than 150,000 misdemeanor convictions for simple cannabis possessions and over 18,000 for related paraphernalia. The governor emphasized that this initiative aligns with Maryland voters' decision to legalize cannabis, which took effect in July 2023.

Baltimore, significantly impacted by these convictions, will see a transformative effect on many lives. The decision follows President Biden's call for state-level pardons and reflects a commitment to social equity and justice.

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"He's been convicted of 34 felonies, found liable for sexual assault, and he committed financial fraud. Meanwhile, Joe Biden's been working."

That is a new campaign ad put out by the Biden administration going directly after presidential candidate Donald Trump. The $50 million ad blitz focuses on Trump's felonies and will air in key battleground states starting today.

The 30-second "Character Matters" ad looks at Biden's commitment to families juxtaposed with Trump's legal troubles. Trump was convicted on 34 felony counts for falsifying business records last month.

Despite initial hesitation, Biden's team is now emphasizing his opponent's legal issues as polls show both candidates are neck and neck.

At a recent fundraiser, Biden labeled Trump a convicted felon, marking a strategic shift. The first presidential debate is set for June 27, adding urgency to both campaigns.

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On June 17, 1972, security guard Frank Wills exposed the Watergate break-in. Although President Richard M. Nixon and Washington Post star reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein are most closely associated with the infamous Watergate scandal that led to Nixon's resignation, Frank Wills, a security guard at the Democratic National Committee headquarters, is often overlooked.

During his routine patrol, Wills noticed that the basement door had been taped open. He promptly alerted his supervisor and the police, leading to the discovery of five intruders.

While Woodward and Bernstein gained great fame, Willis sadly died in poverty in 2000 at the age of 54.

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DALLAS (AURN News) - Tony Evans, the prominent pastor, author, and the first African American to earn a doctoral degree from Dallas Theological Seminary, has stepped down from the Dallas-area megachurch he founded over 40 years ago after admitting to a past moral failing. In a statement issued last Sunday and posted on the website of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship Church, Evans acknowledged committing an unspecified sin "a number of years ago" that fell short of the biblical standards he had preached.

"When we fall short of that standard due to sin, we are required to repent and restore our relationship with God," Evans said in the statement. "I am, therefore, required to apply the same biblical standard of repentance and restoration to myself that I have applied to others."

Evans said he has shared the matter with his wife, children, and church elders "and they have lovingly placed their arms of grace around me." No other details were provided. The church's website stated that interim leadership would be announced in the coming days, under the oversight of executive pastor Bobby Gibson and the elders.

One of the most prominent African American evangelical leaders, Evans recently married his second wife in a private ceremony. In a 2022 interview with the American Urban Radio Networks, Evans reflected on the historic role of Black churches as community hubs.

"The Black church historically was the center of life for the Black world...Not just religious life, it was the center of all of life," he said. "So we shouldn't be surprised that out of the Black church came our doctors, our lawyers, our teachers, our entertainment, our politicians, and on and on and on and on."

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