AURN News

President Joe Biden threw down the gauntlet, challenging former President Donald Trump to a debate. Trump accepted, setting the stage for a showdown. 

Now, CNN has announced it will host the debate on June 27 at 9 p.m. from its studio in Atlanta, Georgia. To ensure an uninterrupted discussion, no live audience will be present.

Candidates must meet a 15 percent threshold in four qualifying national polls to participate. Biden's campaign chair, Jennifer O'Malley Dillon, emphasized the need for early debates to inform voters before early voting begins. 

The debate promises to be a pivotal moment in the election race, highlighting the stark differences between Biden and Trump as they vie for the presidency once again.

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(AURN News) - The Pentagon is responding to the shooting death of a 23-year-old Black airman who was killed by an Okaloosa County, Florida deputy last week. Roger Fortson was shot and killed by the deputy on May 3rd after authorities responded to a call about a disturbance. Famed attorney Ben Crump held a news conference Thursday condemning Fortson's death. Attorney Crump says that deputies had the wrong apartment.

“You are free in your home from people using excessive forces and searches and seizures of your home. And Roger had that right. He had that right to the Second Amendment. He had that right to the Fourth Amendment,” Crump said.

"He was protecting us so that we could have that right," said Chantemekki Fortson, Roger Fortson's mother, referring to her son's military service and the rights afforded by the Second and Fourth Amendments that Crump cited.

Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden said in a statement that a deputy "responded to a call of a disturbance in progress where he encountered an armed man. The deputy shot the man, who later succumbed to his injuries."

Body camera footage of the shooting was publicly released this week. Crump also released a FaceTime video showing Fortson on a call with his girlfriend at the time he was shot.

At a Pentagon briefing, Press Secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder addressed Fortson's death, saying "The Secretary is following this closely. And I would like to offer our thoughts and prayers to airman Fortson's family. We are of course saddened at the loss of one of our own. I know that his death is currently under investigation, so I'll have to refer you to the Florida civil authorities for any questions about what happened, but we do know that his family is grieving and we offer our sincere condolences."

The shooting has sparked outrage among civil rights activists. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the tragic incident.

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In a controversial decision, the Shenandoah County School Board in Virginia voted 5-1 to rename two schools after Confederate leaders, just four years after the names were removed. 

Gene Kilby, the son of civil rights activist James Wilson Kilby, weighed in:

"My first experience with Confederate sympathizers was in the year of 1958. I was seven years old. They poisoned a family dog, shot through our home, mutilated our livestock, and left bloody sheets on the mailbox. Is this the type of legacy that you want?"

The reversal has sparked intense debate. Supporters claim they are preserving their heritage, while opponents see it as a step back into a racist past.

The schools in question were previously named for Confederate generals Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, Robert E. Lee, and Turner Ashby until 2020. The cost of the renaming could potentially exceed $300,000, which the board says will be paid for by private donation.

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Florida police have released video of the shocking killing of 23-year-old U.S. Airman Roger Fortson by Okaloosa County Police. The incident, which took place last Friday, has sparked outrage and demands for accountability. 

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump addressed the media on Thursday along with Fortson's family. Crump says Fortson, an active duty senior airman, was at home when deputies responded to a call mistakenly targeting his apartment. 

During the incident, Fortson, feeling threatened after a series of aggressive knocks and receiving no answer, armed himself with a legally owned firearm. Moments later, deputies announced themselves and when he opened the door, shot him six times upon seeing him armed. 

A witness connected with Fortson via FaceTime reported that he was alone and not causing any disturbance. His death raises critical questions about law enforcement's use of force.

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P.B.S. Pinchback, the first Black American to serve as governor of a U.S. state, was born on May 10, 1837, to a formerly enslaved mother and her former enslaver.

During the Civil War, Pinchback, who was once a riverboat gambler, served as an officer in the Union Army. He ventured into politics in 1868, first as a Louisiana state senator, later ascending to the position of lieutenant governor. 

He assumed the role of acting governor from December 9, 1872, to January 13, 1873, during impeachment proceedings against the sitting governor, thus becoming the first African-American to govern a state.

Although Pinchback secured victories in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate, his ability to serve was stopped by white Southerners. 

Pinchback passed away on December 21, 1921, at 84 years old.

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(AURN News) - The Black unemployment rate in the United States decreased to 5.6 percent according to the latest jobs report from the Department of Labor, marking a decline after an uptick the previous month. In April of last year, it was 4.8 percent. However, significant racial disparities remain, with Black Americans continuing to face the highest unemployment rate among all racial groups. 

The economy added 175,000 nonfarm jobs in April, the lowest monthly gain since October 2022 when 165,000 jobs were added. The national unemployment rate rose slightly to 3.9 percent, remaining within the range of 3.7 to 3.9 percent seen since August of last year.

Compared to the 5.6 percent unemployment rate for Black Americans, the rates for other racial groups were lower: 2.8 percent for Asians, 3.5 percent for Whites, and 4.8 percent for Hispanics. The new data also highlights a slowdown in job growth, with the average monthly job gains over the past year standing at 242,000, significantly higher than April's figure. The healthcare industry remained a bright spot, leading job gains for the month.

This slowdown in job growth will be closely watched by the Federal Reserve as it continues to navigate its battle against inflation and considers future moves regarding interest rates. A notable economic slowdown could influence the central bank's policy decisions. 

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(AURN News) - The Biden administration announced a sweeping $5.5 billion plan this week aimed at curbing homelessness and making housing more affordable, with a particular focus on boosting economic opportunity in underserved communities. The announcement was made in remarks delivered in Detroit by Vice President Kamala Harris as part of her Economic Opportunity Tour. 

The multibillion-dollar Department of Housing and Urban Development initiative represents one of the administration's most significant efforts yet to confront the interlocking crises of homelessness and skyrocketing housing costs that have exacerbated economic inequality and hamstrung economic mobility for millions of Americans. A part of the plan allocates $1.3 billion to construct and rehabilitate affordable housing units nationwide. An additional $214 million is focused on the Housing Trust Fund. Beyond increasing the housing supply, the HUD funding directs $3.3 billion to Community Development Block Grants. HIV/AIDS housing and support account for $455 million and the Emergency Solutions Grants total $290 million.

The White House framed the announcement as part of a larger strategy to lower housing costs over the long term and expand access to affordable homes and supportive services for high-risk populations. A total of $30 million will be distributed across 23 states and the District of Columbia to fund transitional housing for those recovering from substance abuse disorders, a population that often faces significant housing insecurity.

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Congress addressed the rise of antisemitism in K-12 schools with a hearing yesterday morning. It marked the first congressional inquiry into antisemitism incidents in educational settings since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, which sparked a nationwide increase of such cases.

The session specifically examined situations in New York City, Berkeley, California, and Montgomery County, Maryland. Officials, including David Banks of New York City Public Schools, Enikia Ford Morthel of Berkeley Unified School District, and Karla Silvestre of Montgomery County Board of Education, will testify.

The hearing was conducted by the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education, with representatives from the American Civil Liberties Union also participating. 

The hearing followed the cancellation of a separate hearing on antisemitism at George Washington University after recent police actions cleared a related encampment. 

The session yesterday aimed to directly confront and understand the growing incidents in these communities.

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Dr. Valerie McCray made history by clinching the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, becoming the first Black woman to secure such a nomination in Indiana's history.

Her next challenge is facing off against GOP candidate U.S. Rep. Jim Banks in the upcoming U.S. Senate race in Indiana. This opportunity arose due to current U.S. Sen. Mike Braun's decision to leave his Senate seat and pursue the governorship, setting off a series of political shifts within Indiana's congressional delegation. 

With Banks as the sole Republican contender for the Senate, he vacates his position in Indiana's 3rd Congressional district. It's worth noting that no Democrat has managed to clinch victory in any statewide race for over a decade in Indiana.

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In a stand against efforts to bury Black history, leaders from the nation's major civil rights organizations have rallied behind the Freedom to Learn campaign. On the brink of the 60th anniversary of Freedom Summer and the 70th anniversary of the historic Brown v. Board of Education decision, these leaders are pushing back against a disturbing trend.

Marc Morial of the National Urban League, Rev. Al Sharpton of the National Action Network, and other civil rights leaders, including NAACP CEO Derrick Johnson and Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights President and CEO Maya Wiley, have united. Their fight? The so-called Project 2025, a far-right initiative aiming to roll back civil rights protections and undermine democratic norms by promoting book bans, curriculum censorship, and attacks on Black and LGBTQ+ authors.

These leaders argue that the current wave of attacks on educational freedom is part of a larger, well-funded effort by extremists to reshape American democracy. They emphasize the importance of including diverse histories and narratives in the educational system to reflect a more accurate and inclusive story of America.

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