Latest news with #civilrights
Washington Post
13 hours ago
- General
- Washington Post
Discrimination cases unravel as Trump scraps core civil rights tenet
For decades, the federal government has used data analysis to ferret out race and sex discrimination, winning court cases and reaching settlements in housing, education, policing and across American life. Now the Trump administration is working to unwind those same cases. In recent weeks, the Justice Department backed out of an agreement with an Atlanta bank accused of systematically discouraging Black and Latino home buyers from applying for loans. The Education Department terminated an agreement with a South Dakota school district where Native American students were disciplined at higher rates than their White peers. And federal prosecutors have dropped several racial discrimination reform agreements involving state and local police departments — including that of Minneapolis, where George Floyd was murdered by an officer in 2020.
New York Times
a day ago
- General
- New York Times
What We Know About the Conflict Over a Trans Athlete in a California Track Meet
A transgender girl in California qualified for this week's state high school track and field meet, and her inclusion in the two-day event has angered people who do not believe that trans girls should compete in girls' events. They believe that trans girls hold a physical advantage and say that allowing them to take part is unfair. Her participation has fueled a political debate that has reached the White House: President Trump has threatened to pull federal funding from the state if it lets the trans girl, AB Hernandez, compete at the meet. Civil rights advocates have denounced the threat as bullying behavior. Now the eyes of the president, the governor, conservative activists and transgender rights groups will be on the meet, which began Friday in Clovis, near Fresno. It's arguably the most competitive high school track and field meet in the nation. Here's what to know: What events is the trans girl competing in? Hernandez qualified for the meet in three events: the high jump, the long jump and the triple jump. On Friday, she finished as the top qualifier in all three events and advanced to Saturday's finals. There, medals typically go to the top nine athletes. She is one of the favorites in the long jump and the triple jump. What is the gist of the debate? People who are against trans girls' competing in girls' events believe that those athletes hold unfair advantages over other competitors. Athletes who were born male, they say, have a physiological edge — including muscle mass and bone length — that they retain even after their transition. They think that physical edge makes it harder for all girls to have an equal chance at making teams, qualifying for meets and winning. In California, trans girls have had the right to compete in girls' events since 2013, when a law was passed that said students could participate in school sports in the category that matched their gender identity. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Arab News
2 days ago
- Business
- Arab News
Georgia's foreign-agents act ‘a serious setback': EU officials
BRUSSELS: A new law in Georgia that from Saturday requires NGOs and media outlets to register as 'foreign agents' if they receive funding from abroad is a 'serious setback,' for the country, two top EU officials said. Alongside other laws on broadcasting and grants, 'these repressive measures threaten the very survival of Georgia's democratic foundations and the future of its citizens in a free and open society,' EU diplomatic chief Kaja Kallas and EU enlargement commissioner Marta Kos said in a joint statement. They stressed that the law, which they dubbed a tool 'by the Georgian authorities to suppress dissent (and) restrict freedoms,' jeopardized the country's ambitions of one day joining the European Union. 'Georgia's Foreign Agents Registration Act marks a serious setback for the country's democracy,' they said. Georgia's law is inspired by US legislation which makes it mandatory for any person or organization representing a foreign country, group or party to declare its activities to authorities. But NGOs believe it will be used by Georgia's illiberal and Euroskeptic government to further repression of civil society and the opposition. The Black Sea nation has been rocked by daily demonstrations since late last year, with protesters decrying what they see as an increasingly authoritarian and pro-Russia government. Tensions escalated in November when Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced that Georgia would postpone EU membership talks until 2028. 'The EU is ready to consider the return of Georgia to the EU accession path if the authorities take credible steps to reverse democratic backsliding,' Kallas and Kos said in their statement.
CBS News
2 days ago
- Health
- CBS News
Elderly woman shoved, seriously injured by deputy outside Sacramento jail files civil rights lawsuit
SACRAMENTO -- A 71-year-old woman who was seriously injured after being shoved to the ground by a Sacramento sheriff's deputy has filed a civil lawsuit against the department, Sacramento County and multiple deputies involved. The incident was captured on body-worn video and jail surveillance camera footage in October 2024, when now-former deputy Matthew Gurich forced the woman through the front doors of the main jail in downtown Sacramento. The woman is seen making a hard fall onto the sidewalk and can be heard on video crying out in pain as multiple officers walk back inside the jail building. Gurich was fired from the department in March of this year after being placed on administrative leave. He was subsequently charged by the Sacramento County District Attorney's office with one felony count of unlawful assault by a public officer. "Well, it was hard to see how long she was left out there," said George Siamoutas, of the video. The woman's sons, George and John Siamoutas, spoke to CBS13 on her behalf Friday night. She was eventually taken to the hospital with a broken femur. "She's a 71-year-old woman, non-threatening really, and to be handled like that, I think some education is needed," said George. "They are the first responders but they have to realize, OK wait, this is a call for a doctor," added John. The lawsuit alleges the elderly woman, who suffers from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, was in an active mental health episode at a Starbucks where she became disoriented, thinking she was shopping in a grocery store. The lawsuit claims the employees did not want her to be arrested, but called police, hoping for help and resources to be offered. The woman was arrested, taken to the Sacramento County jail and forcefully pushed out the front door upon her release. She spent several months in the hospital recovering after the incident, according to family. The lawsuit alleges the incident violated her civil and constitutional rights, leaving her with lifelong impacts. John says his mother also never got to say goodbye to her husband, her main caretaker, who died while she was hospitalized. "She wasn't able to go visit him during his last days because she got taken away, injured and into a hospital. She couldn't be by his side for his last days," said John. The family wants accountability, awareness and more mental health training across the entire sheriff's department. "Training for mental health situations, number one. Maybe you can prevent something like this happening in the future," said George. On Monday, June 2, the family and jail reform leaders in the community are gathering for a press conference near the main jail downtown to call attention to the lawsuit and what they want to see changed. CBS13 reached out to the Sacramento Sheriff's Office for a response to this story, a spokesperson declined to comment on pending litigation.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Trump's education secretary threatens to pull funding from NY over its Native American mascot ban
MASSAPEQUA, N.Y. (AP) — New York is discriminating against a school district that refuses to get rid of its Native American chief mascot and could face a Justice Department investigation or risk losing federal funding, President Donald Trump's top education official said Friday. U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, on a visit to Massapequa High School on Long Island, said an investigation by her agency has determined that state education officials violated Title VI of the federal civil rights law by banning the use of Native American mascots and logos statewide. The department's civil rights office found the state ban is discriminatory because names and mascots derived from other racial or ethnic groups, such as the 'Dutchmen' and the 'Huguenots,' are still permitted. McMahon described Massapequa's chiefs mascot as an 'incredible' representation of Native American leadership as she made the announcement backed by dozens of students and local officials in the high school gymnasium. 'The Trump Administration will not stand idly by as state leaders attempt to eliminate the history and culture of Native American tribes,' the former longtime CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment said. McMahon said her department will give the state ten days to sign an agreement rescinding its Native American mascot ban and apologizing to Native Americans for having discriminated against them and attempted to 'erase' their history. JP O'Hare, a spokesperson for the New York education department, dismissed McMahon's visit as 'political theater' and said the school district was doing a 'grave disservice' to its students by refusing to consult with local tribes about their concerns. 'These representatives will tell them, as they have told us, that certain Native American names and images perpetuate negative stereotypes and are demonstrably harmful to children,' he said in a statement. Representatives from the Native American Guardians Association, who voiced support for keeping the chief mascot at Friday's event, also don't speak on behalf of local Indigenous residents, despite claims from school officials, said Adam Drexler, a Massapequa resident and member of the Chickasaw Nation. 'They're Native Americans for hire,' he said, noting the group is based in North Dakota. 'They have no tribal authority.' Meanwhile the National Congress of American Indians, considered the country's oldest and largest Native American advocacy group, reaffirmed its long-standing opposition to the use of unsanctioned Native American imagery. 'These depictions are not tributes — they are rooted in racism, cultural appropriation, and intentional ignorance,' the organization said in a statement ahead of McMahon's appearance. Trump ordered the federal education department to launch an inquiry into the Massapequa mascot dispute last month, making the coastal suburb an unlikely flashpoint in the enduring debate over the place of Indigenous imagery in American sports. Located about 40 miles (64 kilometers) east of Manhattan, the town has for years fought a state mandate to retire Native American sports names and mascots. But its lawsuit challenging the state's 2023 ban on constitutional grounds was dismissed by a federal judge earlier this year. State education officials gave districts until the end of this school year to commit to replacing them or risk losing education funding. Schools could be exempt from the mandate if they gained approval from a local Native American tribe, but Massapequa never sought such permission, state officials have said. Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, a Trump ally who joined McMahon on the visit, echoed the sentiments of residents who support keeping the mascot. The Massapequa chief, he said, is meant to 'honor' the town's Native American heritage, not 'denigrate' it. 'They're trying to change our culture, and we're not having it,' Blakeman said. The town is named after the Massapequa, who were part of the broader Lenape, or Delaware, people who inhabited the woodlands of the Northeastern U.S. and Canada for thousands of years before being decimated by European colonization. But indigenous residents on Long Island have called Massapequa's mascot problematic as it depicts a Native American man wearing a headdress that was typically worn by tribes in the American Midwest, but not in the Northeast. The cheery mascot also obscures Massapequa's legacy of violence against Native Americans, which includes the site of a Native American massacre in the 1600s, Native American activists have said. Massapequa, which is roughly 90% white, has long been a conservative bastion popular with New York City police and firefighters. Trump visited the town last year to attend the wake of a New York City police officer and has made frequent visits to Long Island as it has shifted Republican. Comedian Jerry Seinfeld, Hollywood's Baldwin brothers and the Long Island's alleged Gilgo Beach serial killer are also among Massapequa High's notable alums. ___ This story has been corrected to remove a reference to the event taking place Thursday. It took place Friday. ___ Follow Philip Marcelo at Philip Marcelo, The Associated Press
