Black Men Heal co-founder Zakia Williams was deeply moved as she watched a young Black man become emotional while speaking about the mental health toll the past few years have taken on him. “He said ‘I just want to play basketball without fear of getting shot, I just want to live. I just want to […]
Missouri Ranks 7th in Electric Vehicle Use, but Access to Charging Remains a Key Barrier
This story was originally published by the Kansas City Beacon. Beto Lugo-Martinez is a grassroots activist who advocates for clean air. A big part of his work is fighting the expansion of “gas guzzling” vehicles and making sure that historically underserved communities receive infrastructure updates, partly to encourage driving an electric vehicle in Kansas City. Kansas […]
Frustrated Democrats Call for GOP Help on Federal Gun Laws After Mass School Shooting
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Wednesday implored Senate Republicans to work with Democrats to pass bipartisan gun control legislation, following a mass school shooting that took the lives of 19 children and two teachers in Texas. Tuesday’s massacre was the nation’s second-deadliest mass school shooting since another at Sandy Hook Elementary […]
FACT SHEET: President Biden to Sign Historic Executive Order to Advance Effective, Accountable Policing and Strengthen Public Safety
May 25 (abbreviated for length) Today, President Biden will sign a historic executive order (EO) to advance effective, accountable policing and criminal justice practices that will build public trust and strengthen public safety. Police cannot fulfill their role to keep communities safe without public trust and confidence in law enforcement and the criminal justice system. […]
New Names for Fort Bragg, Eight Other Army Bases Recommended
“All these bases honored men who wouldn’t want me or other Black Americans serving in uniform, let alone in Congress,” U.S. Rep Anthony Brown (D-MD) Fort Bragg would become Fort Liberty. Fort Gordon would be Fort Eisenhower. And, for the first time, Army bases would be named after Black soldiers and women. An independent commission […]
Pfizer Says 3 COVID Shots Protect Children Under 5
Three doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine offer strong protection for children younger than 5, the company announced Monday, another step toward shots for the littlest kids possibly beginning in early summer. Pfizer plans to submit the findings to U.S. regulators later this week. The Food and Drug Administration already is evaluating an application by rival Moderna to offer two-dose […]
Biden to Sign Police Order on Floyd Anniversary
WASHINGTON (AP) — With Congress deadlocked over how to address racism and excessive use of force, President Joe Biden plans to sign an executive order on policing Wednesday, the second anniversary of George Floyd’s death, according to three people familiar with the matter. The decision reflects Biden’s struggle to use the limited powers of his office to […]
Harris, Surgeon General Warn of Health Care Worker Burnout
WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris and U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued a warning Monday about burnout among the nation’s health care staff after more than two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the potential for severe worker shortages in the years ahead if the situation is not addressed. “You do so […]
Missouri Legislators Load Up State’s Official Calendar With Awareness Days
The bill started out as just one word. “Literally adding the word ‘Captain’ to the David Dorn Memorial Highway on Highway (State Route) 180 here in St. Louis County,” said Rep. Shamed Dogan, R-Ballwin. When they named the highway in his honor last year, legislators accidentally left out the title for Dorn, a retired St. Louis […]
Sam Rodgers Place, Final Paseo Gateway Phase Breaks Ground
Sam Rodgers Place, the 62-unit mixed-income development on the Samuel U. Rodgers campus in the Historic Northeast’s Independence Plaza neighborhood broke ground this week, as the seventh and final phase of Brinshore Development, the Housing Authority of Kansas City, Missouri (HAKC), and the City of Kansas City, MO’s Paseo Gateway revitalization effort. Sam Rodgers Place […]