Alabama
According to reports, there has been a harmful strain of a marijuana mixture being used in the state. According to the Birmingham Times, 462 people have gone to hospitals and reported certain symptoms from smoking what is called “Spice,” or synthetic cannabinoids. Two people have died and 96 have been hospitalized. Symptoms include rapid heart rate, nausea, vomiting, agitation, confusion, lethargy, hallucinations, and kidney and respiratory problems. According to the state’s department of health, people hospitalized range in age from 13 to 60, but most are males in their 20s and 30s. Dr. Mary G. McIntyre of the Alabama Health Office for Disease Control says that people believe synthetic marijuana products are safe, but since they are mixed with chemicals, they can often cause serious health problems. In addition to spice, the product is being marketed under names such as K2, Sence, Genie, Yucatan Fire, Smoke, Sexy Monkey, Black Mamba and Skunk.
California
The family of a mentally ill man who was killed by police on skid row in Los Angeles is suing the city for $20 million. Charly Keunang, 43, was the only son of Heleine Tchayou. On March 1, he was involved in an altercation with police. Officers claimed that they had responded to a call about a robbery, and when they confronted Keunang, he became combative and reached for an officer’s gun. Three other officers on the scene responded by firing on Keunang, killing him in a hail of gunfire. The traumatic scene was caught on video, including that from body cameras from at least two of the officers. Keunang, who was from Cameroon, was reportedly in the country illegally and had been arrested before and served prison time. At one point, he was in a halfway house before he ended up on skid row. His family reports that he was trying to get back on his feet.
Actor and humanitarian Forest Whitaker returns to his hometown of Carson on May 16 to receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Cal State, Dominguez Hills. He will also be the keynote speaker at the school’s College of Arts and Humanities commencement ceremony. Whitaker is founder and CEO of the Whitaker Peace and Development Initiative, an international non-profit organization that helps societies impacted by destructive conflicts, transform into safer and more prosperous communities. In addition, he is the co-founder and chair of the International Institute for Peace, a UNESCO special envoy for peace and reconciliation, and a UN advocate for children affected by war. Whitaker is most known as an Oscar-winning actor, as well as a director.
Florida
The third annual National Strategy Session to End Criminalization, Incarceration and Immigration Enforcement was held on May 3-5 in Boca Raton. The event was designed to take on the role private prisons play in criminalizing communities of color and immigrants, and to explore proactive strategies that center on the voices and needs of communities most impacted by mass incarceration and immigration enforcement. The keynote panel featured leaders in the movement for decarceration and transformative liberation, such as Judith Browne Dianis, executive director of Advancement Project; Desmond Meade, executive director of Florida Rights Restoration Coalition; youth organizer Ruth Jeannoel, Power U; and moderator Maria Rodriguez, executive director of Florida Immigrant Coalition. “At this moment, politicians and corporations are breeding disgustingly high levels of violence and incarceration against our community. It is clear that people of color and immigrants have a common target: these corporations and politicians whose draconian legislation breeds modern slavery and controls our lives,” said Daniel Carrillo, executive director of Enlace and founder of the Prison Divestment Campaign. “We are making history in building a true multiracial national alliance to face this corporate and political power, and to collectively build our vision of liberation and justice for all of us.”
Georgia
Police in East Point, a suburb of Atlanta, and federal agents were both involved in the arrest of Ebony Monique Dickens, after she allegedly made threats to kill police officers on Facebook. According to Fox 5 Atlanta, Dickens went under the name Tiffany Milan and said… “All Black ppl should rise up and shoot at every White cop in the nation starting now.” After that post, she later wrote more. “I thought about shooting every White cop I see in the head until I’m caught by the police or killed by them. Ha!!! I think I can pull it off. Might kill at least 15 tomorrow. I’m plotting now.” According to media sources, law enforcement became aware of her posting because Facebook users reported her rants. Dickens confessed that she wrote the posts when police took her into custody. Since 9/11, laws have changed, so this kind of behavior now comes under acts of terrorism. Dickens is being charged with making online terroristic threats. Atlanta police, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) and the FBI are all involved in the investigation. Her bond was set at $10,000 and the judge also ordered that all of her social media accounts be suspended.
Atlanta police officers fatally shot a Black woman who was in the back of a police car, after the mother of two somehow pulled a pistol and shot at officers twice. Alex Christian, 25, died at a hospital after officers shot back at her. She was allegedly placed inside the police cruiser after police say she was found in a car that was reported stolen. Oddly, the officers said they searched her, and found drugs but no gun. Yet to be explained is how she got hold of a gun and fired twice at the officers before they fired back, fatally wounding her. The Atlanta Police Department noted that Christian, as well as the two officers involved, were Black. According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Christian had a record that included eight arrests for a variety of charges, including auto theft, shoplifting and selling marijuana. Both officers involved are on administrative leave while the case is investigated.
Illinois
Chicago will be the home of the new presidential library and museum in honor of President Barack Obama. The library will go on the South Side of the city and will be operated through the University of Chicago. However, the Obamas are expected to live in New York City, after they vacate the White House after the 2016 presidential election. Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner said that he will sign a bill that will allow land in either Jackson or Washington Parks to be used for the library. “The governor thinks the president’s library will be a benefit to the state of Illinois and to the city of Chicago and is supportive of that,” said Catherine Kelly, a spokesperson for the governor. Hawaii, where President Obama was born, and New York City, where he attended Columbia University, were also campaigning to get the library. The Obamas lived in Chicago for a number of years, when he was a state senator and U.S. Senator.
Maryland
As tensions continued in Baltimore over the unsettling death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray, the National Guard was called in to help keep the violence down and to allow the peaceful protestors to carry on. For some celebrities including former Baltimore Raven Ray Lewis and former actor from the critically acclaimed ABC series “Grey’s Anatomy,” Jesse Williams, words were especially poignant and blasted across social media. “You want us to condemn Black folks being violent against PROPERTY but you NEVER condemn police killing actual PEOPLE. #Explain #JustTry,” Williams wrote. Fox News reporter Geraldo Rivera, however, met a different reception from protestors as well as politicians. “We don’t want you here. We don’t want your false coverage!” one protestor said to his face, as a crowd of peaceful protestors surrounded Rivera, preventing him from interviewing Maryland State Sen. Catherine A. Pugh, who was with the protestors and in fact seen hugging them as Rivera tried to get to her. Some protestors formed lines to keep violent people from getting to the police, while others continued to choose to attack the police with rocks, bottles etc. It all came to a climactic resolution on Friday when Maryland State Attorney General Marilyn Moseby announced that six Baltimore police officers would be charged with various counts of murder in the death of young Black man Freddie Gray, who died as a result injuries suffered while in police custody.
Massachusetts
Actor Alton “Ben” Powers, who played Keith Anderson in the long-running ’70s sitcom “Good Times,” died last week at age 64. He was a resident of New Bedford. In addition to “Good Times,” he also appeared on several other shows, including “Laverne & Shirley” and “Mike Hammer.” He also had roles in several movies in the ’80s.
Michigan
White Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor Teana Walsh resigned last week after state officials discovered that she had written on her Facebook page that violent demonstrators in Baltimore should be shot. Her post, according to the Detroit News, read: So I am watching the news in Baltimore and see large swarms of people throwing bricks etc. at police who are fleeing from their assaults … 15 in hospital already. Solution. Simple. Shoot ’em. Period. End of discussion. I don’t care what causes the protestors to turn violent … what the “they did it because” reason is… no way is acceptable.” The post went up on Monday and was later deleted. Her resignation came on Friday. Lonnie Scott, executive director of Progress Michigan, said that Walsh’s post represents a “mentality that has to be purged from the criminal justice system as a whole.”
Nevada
Mariah Carey came into Las Vegas for her long stint at Caesar’s Palace with quite an entrance. Eighteen billboard trucks, each with the name of one of her 18 No. 1 hits, came down the Strip, followed by her in a vintage Rolls Royce convertible. Thousands of fans
lined up in front of the hotel and inside where she was scheduled to make a brief appearance. Her show, called “1 to Infinity,” began May 6 at Caesar’s and runs through July. Carey got out of the car, stood next to it and waved, and then was carried inside to the red carpet by four men dressed as Centurians on a red velvet chair. Promotions for her show have dubbed her the “new Queen of Las Vegas.”
New Mexico
Jon Jones, the UFC light heavyweight champion, was stripped of his title last week, after he was arrested on felony charges in Albuquerque. The 27-year-old will not be allowed to fight and defend the title in a scheduled bout on May 23 in Las Vegas. Also, major shoe company Reebok terminated its endorsement deal with Jones. All this stems from a traffic accident, where Jones allegedly fled the scene. According to police reports, Jones ran a red light and his car hit another car. He ran away, but then returned to “grab a large handful of cash” before running away again. A woman in the car that was struck, who is pregnant, suffered a broken wrist and fractured arm. After turning himself in and then appearing before a judge, Jones tweeted: “Got a lot of soul searching to do. Sorry to everyone I’ve let down.”
New York
A Black man has been arraigned in New York City on charges of shooting and killing that he shot a NYC police officer. The 25-year-old officer was allegedly shot by Demetrius Blackwell, 35, who has been charged with murder (after the officer died) and ordered held without bail. Although three witnesses picked him out of a lineup, Blackwell’s attorney told the judge that the arrest was illegal. According to public records, Blackwell has faced murder charges before and served time. In addition, he was once arrested after grabbing at a police officer’s badge and spitting on him.
Washington
Protestors took to the streets in the Rainier Valley section of Seattle last weekend in two “Black Lives Matter” rallies. Children led the first one down Rainier Avenue South. Police responded by sending officers on bicycles to escort the marchers. The second march began soon after and eventually blocked some intersections, at spots along Rainier Avenue. Police closed nearby on and off ramps of I-90 and prevented the demonstrators from walking on to the Interstate. Some of the protestors could be heard saying: “Seattle stands with Baltimore.” The march remained peaceful and dispersed after about two hours. No arrests were made.
National
The Transportation Security Administration, which conducts searches of passengers at U.S. airports, has agreed to stop singling out Black women with natural hairstyles to search through their hair. “TSA has reached an informal agreement with the ACLU to enhance officer training. Racial profiling is not tolerated by TSA. Not only is racial profiling prohibited under Department Homeland Security and agency policy, but it is also an ineffective security tactic,” read a statement from the agency. The situation came about when two Black women—Malaika Singleton and Novella Coleman—filed complaints after their hairstyles were searched. “The first time I was shocked. I just did not expect that. I felt violated,” Singleton said. The TSA launched an internal investigation and is now reportedly working to make sure that its security screening process complies with civil liberties and civil rights laws.
