AURN News

Children’s rights activist and trailblazing lawyer Marian Wright Edelman was born on June 6, 1939, in South Carolina.

After graduating from Spelman College and earning her law degree from Yale, her early career was marked by her work with the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund in Mississippi during the Civil Rights Movement, where she fought for justice and equality. She also became the first Black woman admitted to the Mississippi Bar.

In 1973, she founded the Children’s Defense Fund to advocate for child welfare. Edelman has received numerous accolades, including a MacArthur Fellowship, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Robert F. Kennedy Lifetime Achievement Award, and over a hundred honorary degrees.

Happy birthday, Marian Wright Edelman.

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The Georgia Court of Appeals has put a halt to the election subversion conspiracy case against Donald Trump and his co-defendants. The move ensures that the trial will not take place before the 2024 presidential election.

The court has suspended proceedings until it decides if Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis should be disqualified. The appeals court is anticipated to rule on the disqualification in March 2025, though the exact timeline is unclear. Fulton County Superior Judge Scott McAfee has previously allowed the case to proceed, as the appeals court considered the matter.

Trump and his co-defendants have been pushing to have Willis disqualified because of a personal relationship with Nathan Wade, a special prosecutor. They claim Willis financially benefited from the relationship, but Judge McAfee found no evidence to support their claims.

Willis' testimony during the proceedings shifted the focus to her personal life away from the charges against Trump and his co-defendants. Despite this, Judge McAfee allowed Willis to continue leading the case after Wade stepped down.

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The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit has blocked the Fearless Fund, a Black-owned venture capitalist firm, from issuing grants exclusively to Black women entrepreneurs. The court ruled that the fund's grant contest likely violates Title 42 of the U.S. Code, which prohibits racial discrimination in contracts.

The decision halts the fund's grant application process and marks a win for anti-affirmative action legal strategist Edward Blum.

Arian Simone, CEO of the Fearless Fund, expressed devastation at the ruling, stating that it sends a message that diversity in corporate America and education should not exist.

She vowed to continue the fight for economic opportunity for women of color, who received less than two percent of venture capitalist money.

Rev. Al Sharpton, President of National Action Network, blasted the decision, calling it another blow to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, and emphasized the importance of standing with the Fearless Fund and all women of color entrepreneurs in the face of right-wing legal challenges.

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President Joe Biden spoke Tuesday at the White House before signing an executive order that would temporarily halt asylum requests at the U.S.-Mexico border once the daily arrival rate surpasses 2,500 migrants.

"The simple truth is there is a worldwide migrant crisis," said Biden.

The order, which comes under the Immigration and Nationality Act, aims to address the migrant influx by suspending entry for those crossing the border unlawfully. The shutdown will be immediate, given the current numbers, and the border will reopen when the figures drop below 1,500 a day.

However, reactions from immigration organizations have been critical. Silky Shah, Executive Director of Detention Watch Network, expressed fury at the order, calling it a betrayal of the values President Biden once promised. She accused the administration of adopting an anti-immigration agenda by enacting policies that endanger migrants and align with right-wing ideologies.

The order, Shah argued, not only narrows pathways for immigrants but cuts them off entirely, perpetuating a system that relies on mass incarceration and targets people of color.

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In a move to address the escalating migrant crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border, President Biden is preparing to sign an executive order that could suspend asylum requests if the daily arrival rates exceed 2,500 migrants. This threshold is currently being met, meaning the order could take immediate effect.

The order also stipulates the border would reopen for asylum seekers once the numbers drop below 1,500 per day. President Biden is expected to unveil these measures today with border mayors in attendance at the White House. This action represents the president's most aggressive unilateral attempt to manage the border situation following the collapse of bipartisan immigration legislation.

The administration is exploring options including utilizing the CPB1 app to facilitate asylum requests at ports of entry. Legal challenges are anticipated with advocacy groups and some Democratic lawmakers expressing concerns over the implications of such a policy.

As the president prepares to announce these measures, a potential need for cooperation with Mexico and the logistical challenges of implementing such an order are at the forefront of the discussions.

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A U.S. federal court of appeals panel has suspended a venture capital firm's grant program for Black women business owners, ruling that a conservative group is likely to prevail in its lawsuit claiming the program is discriminatory.

The case against the Fearless Fund was brought by the American Alliance for Equal Rights, led by Edward Blum, the activist behind the Supreme Court case that ended affirmative action in college admissions.

In a 2-1 ruling, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals found that Blum was likely to prevail in his claim that the grant program violated the 1866 Civil Rights Act, which was a Reconstruction-era law was designed to protect formerly enslaved people from economic discrimination, but anti-affirmative action activists have been using it to challenge programs aimed at benefiting minority-owned businesses.

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I had the most incredible weekend. It isn't often that you get a big honor from your hometown, but this weekend, I became the 42nd speaker in the Distinguished Lecture Series sponsored by the Hackley Library Foundation in Muskegon, Michigan. Now, Muskegon is a port city in western Michigan, right on Lake Michigan, a beautiful town. It's where I was born and raised.

Thank you, family and friends who really showed up and showed out. We had a great time. I got a standing ovation on my lecture, which was all about diversity and inclusion. I will share it with everyone when it's available on Facebook. And thank you so much to the Hackley Library Foundation for this very special honor.

Say what? Lenny Kravitz, the sexiest man alive, says he has been celibate for almost a decade. Well, Lenny says his rockstar lifestyle really caught up with him, and he's been on a spiritual journey. Good for you, Lenny, and whenever you decide to come off, honey, there's a line of women in queue to help you out. I know Gayle King is positioning to be in front of that line.

It's Black Music Month. Lots of tours will be happening. The R&B Money Tour with Tank, Keri Hilson, and Carl Thomas kicked off this weekend, and it's a hit, y'all. I cannot wait till they come to L.A. I think that's later this month. All of those folks on that tour just bring their A game all of the time.

Good for them. You'll be hearing a lot more about what's happening all of this month during our very special Black Music Month coverage.

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Jury selection is underway in the federal gun trial of Hunter Biden in Wilmington, Delaware. Despite the charges against him, Hunter Biden has pleaded not guilty.

President Joe Biden will not be present in the courtroom but has issued a statement expressing his support for his son, saying, "I am the president, but I am also a dad. Jill and I love our son, and we are so proud of the man he is today."

First Lady Jill Biden is attending the proceedings alongside Hunter.

Potential jurors are facing an extensive questioning process, with 47 questions aimed at ensuring impartiality.

The trial follows closely after former President Donald Trump's conviction, heightening interest in the proceedings. Prosecutors are prepared to call numerous witnesses, including family members, to build their case against Hunter Biden.

The defense, meanwhile, is gearing up to challenge the prosecution's evidence and introduce expert testimony. This trial will be closely watched for its legal and political implications and is expected to last up to two weeks.

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Longtime U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee announced her diagnosis of pancreatic cancer and ongoing treatment. The Texas Democrat, who is seeking a 16th term, stated late Sunday, “I am confident that my doctors have developed the best possible plan to target my specific disease. The road ahead will not be easy, but I stand in faith that God will strengthen me.”

Acknowledging that her treatment may cause occasional absences from Congress, she assured that her office will continue to serve constituents and that she remains committed to working with congressional leadership to be present for votes.

Jackson Lee, who first took office in 1995, won the Democratic nomination in March, shortly after losing a bid to become Houston’s mayor. Her district includes downtown Houston and some of the city’s historically Black neighborhoods.

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"The American principle that no one is above the law was reaffirmed."

That was President Biden speaking today before the press in the State Room of the White House about the jury finding former President Donald Trump guilty on all 34 felony counts.

Right after the decision was handed down, Trump kept insisting the trial was somehow rigged against him

"This was a rigged trial by a conflicted judge. It was corrupt. It's a rigged trial, a disgrace," Trump said after the verdict was announced.

President Biden continued:

"And it's reckless. It's dangerous, it's irresponsible for anyone to say this was rigged just because they don't like the verdict. Our justice system has endured for nearly 250 years and it literally is the cornerstone of America. Our justice system, the justice system should be respected and we should never allow anyone to tear it down."

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