Hey News-Changers. This just in: a Kentucky grand jury has indicted one of the three officers involved in Breonna Taylor’s death on charges of wanton endangerment. The other two officers who fired shots were not charged, and no charges have been filed for Taylor’s wrongful death.
Brett Hankison, the only officer charged, faces a possible sentence of one to five years -- the same amount faced by activists charged for peacefully protesting on Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron’s front lawn.
This is not enough, and this is not justice. Breonna Taylor’s murder in the sanctity of her own home cannot be rectified with a single indictment. Folks in Louisville and around the nation are heartbroken, disappointed, and outraged, at the cruelty of this decision, and they’re ready to fight back and keep pushing for accountability.
The city knows it too. They declared a state of emergency ahead of the announcement, restricting parking and barricading access to certain streets downtown. Still, protests are already underway -- folks are taking to the streets to continue in their unwavering demand for justice for Taylor and her family. Over 100 days after her death, the fight for Breonna Taylor carries on.
Experiencing and seeing discrimination in the news can cause trauma and stress. Here are some resources for supporting your mental health:
You can fight for justice with your voice and your vote.
Let’s Do This,
Will President Trump Be Able to Appoint a New Supreme Court Justice Before Election Day? Following the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, President Trump announced his intention to nominate a replacement within the next week. Here’s what you need to know about the process (and the heated debate around it).
How Does a Supreme Court Justice Get Appointed?
1) The President announces their nominee to the Senate.
2) The Senate Judiciary Committee holds hearings to evaluate the nominee and launches an investigation into their background and history.
3) The committee votes on the nominee and sends their recommendation on whether they should be confirmed or rejected to the full Senate.
4) The full Senate debates on the nominee and eventually votes on it. A simple majority (51 of 100 Senators) is needed for a nominee to be confirmed.
Since 1975, this process has taken about 68 days, on average.
What Makes This Appointment so Contentious?
Basically, because it’s an election year.
The last time there was a Supreme Court vacancy on an election year was 2016, following the death of Justice Antonin Scalia. With eight months left until Election Day, Senate Republicans, led by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, argued that it wouldn’t be appropriate to confirm a Supreme Court justice in an election year, and that the justice should be nominated by the president elected that fall. They succeeded in blocking then-President Barack Obama’s nominee, and President Trump went on to nominate Justice Neil Gorsuch post-election.
Now, it seems that some senators are going back on their previous stance, finding no issue with confirming a Supreme Court nominee just over 40 days ahead of this year’s election.
Why Is This Important?
The Supreme Court decides on some very major cases that dictate how the law is interpreted and applied for years to come. Their decisions have impacted civil rights issues like same-sex marriage, school desegregation, and access to reproductive health care.
With crucial cases coming up regarding the environment, reproductive rights, immigration, and LGBTQ protections (issues Justice Ginsburg historically advocated for), a new lifetime-appointed justice has the potential to reshape a lot of our lives.
So Will It Happen?
Right now, it looks like Trump has the votes necessary to confirm a nominee in the Senate -- whether they’ll be able to go through the process fast enough to do so before Election Day is another question.
Why aren’t more people talking about… how the proposed WeChat ban could leave immigrant families cut off from friends and family in China.
Meanwhile, in South Africa… the country is facing its own reckoning on racial injustice and over-policing after a young man was fatally shot outside his home by law enforcement.
My heroes today are… all of the college newspaper reporters pushing their administrators for transparency in their handling of COVID-19 on campus.
My *other* hero today is… 18-year-old Quannah Chasinghorse, who’s fighting to save the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
This week in Black joy… TV reporter Lena Pringle was celebrated for rocking her short, natural hairstyle on air.
Today in viral cuteness… Kerith the golden retriever is providing emotional support to firefighters battling the West Coast fires.
Finding this newsletter useful? Forward today's edition to a friend and encourage them to subscribe. Copyright © 2020, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: 19 West 21st Street, 8th floor, New York, NY 10010 View in Browser | Help Center | Manage subscriptions | Unsubscribe |