Bring That Week Back: Stars Urge Criminal Justice Reform From Obama
Ex-FAMU band members pleaded not guilty, plus more.
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Stars Ask President Obama to Tackle Drugs and Mass Incarceration - Russell Simmons, Will Smith and other artists and elected officials urge President Obama to reform criminal justice policy; Chicago must pay $55,000 to woman tased by police; and ex-FAMU band members have pleaded not guilty to manslaughter. — Natelege Whaley Russell Simmons, Will Smith and Sean “Diddy” Combs are among a coalition of 175 artists, athletes and elected officials who have penned an open letter to President Obama about the U.S. criminal justice policy. They are urging him to reform a system that leaves 500,000 of the 2.3 million people behind bars incarcerated for nonviolent drug offenses. (Photos from left: Uriel Sinai/Getty Images, Michael Kovac/Getty Images)
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Chicago Will Play $55K to Tasered Pregnant Woman - The city of Chicago has to pay $55,000 to Tiffany Rent, who was eight months pregnant when she was tased by cops in June. Rent was parked in a handicap spot waiting for her fiancé, who was doing a quick store run, when a cop wrote her a ticket. The officer stunned her when she tried to drive away. (Photo: Courtesy ABC News)
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Ex- FAMU Band Members Plead Not Guilty to Manslaughter - The 14 defendants in the case of the hazing death of band member Robert Champion at Florida A&M University in November 2011 pleaded not guilty to charges of manslaughter. The defendants must accept the plea agreements set forth by prosecutors by Aug. 2. If not, they will face trial. (Photo: REUTERS/Andrew Innerarity)
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Black Executive Sues Fox Sports for Discrimination - Jerry Davis, a former Black executive at Fox Sports Corporate Group, is suing the company for “favoring the hiring and/or promotion of non-Black and non-minority employees at senior levels." Davis says the division of Fox employs 34 executives above the VP level and none are Black. (Photo: Courtesy FOX Sports)
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@BarackObama Isn’t Really Tweeting - President Obama hasn’t been acting as himself on Twitter since January. But this is no hack. The page was handed over to Organizing for Action, a non-profit organization established to support Obama “in achieving enactment of the national agenda Americans voted for on Election Day 2012,” according to Obama’s website. (photo: EPA/MICHAEL REYNOLDS /LANDOV)
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Scottsboro Boys Exonerated More Than 80 Years Later - The next step has been accomplished in preserving the legacy of the Scottsboro Boys, nine Black teens who were wrongly convicted of raping two white women more than 80 years ago. Alabama lawmakers voted 103-0 in favor of setting up a procedure to pardon the teens, according to the Associated Press.(Photo: AP Photo, File)
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Trayvon Martin Parents Settle Wrongful Death Suit - Trayvon Martin's parents have settled a wrongful-death claim with the homeowners association of the Florida subdivision where their son was shot and killed by George Zimmerman. The homeowners association is believed to have paid out more than $1 million. (Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images)
Photo By Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images
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Students in Georgia Town Fight for Integrated Prom - A group of Wilcox County High School seniors are fighting their school's tradition of segregated proms by organizing an integrated one. But some students have shown opposition, "I put up posters for the 'Integrated Prom,' and we've had people ripping them down at the school," student Keela Bloodworth told WSAV. (photo: GettyImages)