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Louisiana man sentenced to 25 years for burning Black churches

Louisiana man sentenced to 25 years for burning Black churches Holden Matthews, 23, set fire to three churches in an effort to boost his standings with a metal music community. Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Bureau investigators work the crime scene of the burnt ruins of the Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, one of three that burned down, in Opelousas, La., on April 10, 2019. Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Bureau investigators work the crime scene of the burnt ruins of the Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, one of three that burned down, in Opelousas, La., on April 10, 2019.Gerald Herbert / AP file Nov. 2, 2020, 7:39 PM CST By Phil Helsel A Louisiana man was sentenced to 25 years in prison Monday for setting fire to three historically Black churches, federal prosecutors said. Holden Matthews, 23, in February pleaded guilty to setting fire to the Baptist churches in spring 2019 and said he did it to boost his profile in the "black metal" community, the Justice Department said. Black me

Cameroon: Gunmen Massacre School Children Ensure Independent and Effective Investigation; Protect Right to Education

Cameroon: Gunmen Massacre School Children Ensure Independent and Effective Investigation; Protect Right to Education screenshot of school sign. image is outdoors.Click to expand Image Screenshot of a video filmed outside Mother Francisca Bilingual Academy, in Kumba, South-West region, after the attack which killed 7 children on October 24, 2020 © Private (New York) - Gunmen stormed a private school in Cameroon’s Anglophone South-West region on October 24, 2020, killing 7 children and injuring at least 13 others. Cameroonian authorities, with technical support and forensics expertise from the United Nations and African Union, should urgently protect the site, preserve evidence, carry out a credible, effective investigation, and ensure that those responsible for the attack are held to account. No one claimed responsibility for the killings, but the government has accused armed separatists who have called for a boycott of education in the Anglophone regions since 2017. The vice presiden

Frisco City Council candidates deny responsibility for mailers that connect Muslim candidate to Ilhan Omar, Sharia law

Frisco City Council candidates deny responsibility for mailers that connect Muslim candidate to Ilhan Omar, Sharia law Sadaf Haq said the mailers attacked her faith, and incumbent Brian Livingston said he thinks her campaign sent them to make him look like the ‘bad guy.’ A composite image of one of two political mailers sent to Frisco residents on Oct. 29, 2020, which candidates Brian Livingston and Sadaf Haq both say were an attempt to smear their campaigns. A composite image of one of two political mailers sent to Frisco residents on Oct. 29, 2020, which candidates Brian Livingston and Sadaf Haq both say were an attempt to smear their campaigns.(Courtesy (CUSTOM_CREDIT)) By Brandi Addison 7:31 PM on Nov 2, 2020 Political mailers sent to Frisco residents on Friday were a last-minute attempt to smear their campaigns, two candidates for the City Council Place 6 race said. Sadaf Haq — the first Muslim woman to run for Frisco City Council — said the mailers were a direct attack on her f

'It's too important now': Record turnout, Black voters fuel Democratic hopes in Georgia

'It's too important now': Record turnout, Black voters fuel Democratic hopes in Georgia An influx of newly registered voters, most of them Black, could make Joe Biden the first Democratic presidential nominee to carry the state since 1992. Image: Democratic Presidential Nominee Joe Biden Campaigns In Georgia Joe Biden speaks at a drive-in campaign rally in Atlanta on Oct. 27, 2020.Drew Angerer / Getty Images Nov. 1, 2020, 3:30 AM CST By Adam Edelman This is the final story in a series on battleground states poised to play a pivotal role in Tuesday’s general election. The series has spanned over six months and nine states, focusing on issues like the dual public health and economic crises caused by the pandemic, the protests around the country for racial justice, trade and voter turnout efforts. Read about Pennsylvania, Michigan, Florida, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Ohio, Iowa, and Arizona. Norman Williams hadn’t voted in 52 years. But the 75-year-old retired Atlanta resid

Kentucky Police Training Quoted Hitler and Urged ‘Ruthless’ Violence

Kentucky Police Training Quoted Hitler and Urged ‘Ruthless’ Violence A training slide show that urged officers to “always fight to the death” is no longer used but has raised an outcry in a state that has struggled with police violence. A slide in a training manual used by the Kentucky State Police includes a quote from Adolf Hitler encouraging the “regular employment of violence.” A slide in a training manual used by the Kentucky State Police includes a quote from Adolf Hitler encouraging the “regular employment of violence.”Credit...Kentucky State Police By Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs Oct. 31, 2020 A slide show once shown to cadets training to join the Kentucky State Police includes quotations attributed to Adolf Hitler and Robert E. Lee, says troopers should be warriors who “always fight to the death” and encourages each trooper in training to be a “ruthless killer.” The slide show, which came to light on Friday in a report from a high school newspaper, brought harsh condemnation f

Proud Boys flyers left on cars in Lincoln Square days before election

Proud Boys flyers left on cars in Lincoln Square days before election President Donald Trump sparked outrage when instead of denouncing the group, he told them to “stand by.” Days before the election, flyers promoting the group showed up in a North Side neighborhood. By Bob Chiarito | Special to the Sun-Times Oct 31, 2020, 12:25pm CDT Share this story Share this on Facebook (opens in new window) Share this on Twitter (opens in new window) SHARE All sharing options Flyers from the white nationalist hate group the Proud Boys were left on car windshields late Friday on several Lincoln Square blocks, including the 2100 block of West Montrose. Flyers from the white nationalist hate group the Proud Boys were left on car windshields late Friday on several Lincoln Square blocks, including the 2100 block of West Montrose. Bob Chiarito/For the Sun-Times Several residents in the Lincoln Square neighborhood woke Saturday morning to find flyers on their car windshields supporting the Proud Boys,

Tanzania: Post-election crackdown and intimidation underway with ‘arrest and release’ of opposition leaders

Tanzania: Post-election crackdown and intimidation underway with ‘arrest and release’ of opposition leaders 30 October 2020, 20:43 UTC Authorities in Tanzania’s semi-autonomous region of Zanzibar have mounted a campaign of intimidation, arbitrary detention and subsequent release of opposition leaders from the ACT-Wazalendo party following contested elections. Deprose Muchena, Amnesty International’s Director for East and Southern Africa, said: At least 36 ACT-Wazalendo members and five party leaders have been arbitrarily detained in recent days Deprose Muchena, Amnesty International's Director for East and Southern Africa “At least 36 ACT-Wazalendo members and five party leaders have been arbitrarily detained in recent days. Presidential candidate Seif Sharif Hamad was yesterday arrested for the second time in a week, part of a crackdown on critics and political opponents. They were all later released on bail between Thursday night and Friday morning. “These arrests, accompanie