Rallies, moments of silence honor George Floyd a year later

By MOHAMED IBRAHIM and DOUG GLASS A family-friendly street festival, musical performances and moments of silence were held Tuesday to honor George Floyd and mark the year since he died at the hands of Minneapolis police, a death captured on wrenching bystander video that galvanized the racial justice movement and continues to bring calls for change. Floyd’s sister Bridgett and other family members held a moment of silence at a

Biden to host George Floyd’s family at White House

By ALEXANDRA JAFFE President Joe Biden will host George Floyd’s family at the White House Tuesday to mark the first anniversary of his death at the hands of a white Minneapolis police officer. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Friday the president would mark the anniversary of Floyd’s death, but offered no further details on his plans. Floyd died on May 25, 2020 after former Minneapolis police officer Derek

Palestinians see victory in Gaza truce as Israel warns Hamas

People walk by the rubble of the al-Jalaa building following a cease-fire reached after an 11-day war between Gaza's Hamas rulers and Israel, in Gaza City, Friday, May 21, 2021. The building housed The Associated Press bureau in Gaza City for 15 years. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Palestinians rallied by the thousands Friday after a cease-fire took effect in the latest Gaza war, with many

Prosecutor finds deputies justified in shooting of Andrew Brown Jr

By BEN FINLEY and JONATHAN DREW ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina prosecutor said Tuesday that sheriff’s deputies were justified in fatally shooting Andrew Brown Jr. because he struck a deputy with his car and nearly ran him over while ignoring commands to show his hands and get out of the vehicle.  District Attorney Andrew Womble said at a news conference that Brown used his car as a “deadly weapon,”

2 men wrongfully sent to death row awarded $75M in damages

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A jury in a North Carolina federal civil rights case has awarded $75 million to two Black, intellectually disabled half brothers who spent decades behind bars after being wrongfully convicted in the 1983 rape and murder of an 11-year-old girl. The eight-person jury on Friday decided Henry McCollum and Leon Brown should received $31 million each in compensatory damages, $1 million for every year spent in

Amazon announces new distribution center for North Carolina

SMITHFIELD, N.C. (AP) — Amazon is planning a $100 million distribution and fulfillment center, Johnston County officials announced Monday. According to the officials, Amazon will build a 620,000-square-foot warehouse in Smithfield by 2022 that will create 500 jobs paying at least $15 an hour, The News & Observer of Raleigh reported.  “By welcoming Amazon here, we have embarked on a new era of growth with an immediate impact on job creation and

NC governor pardons man who had murder convictions vacated

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper granted a pardon of innocence Friday to a man imprisoned for two decades before his two murder convictions were vacated more than four years ago by a trial judge.  The pardon means Darryl Anthony Howard, who is now 58, can apply to the North Carolina Industrial Commission for compensation of up to $750,000 for his wrongful convictions. “It is important to

Man whose NYC subway pipe-bomb fizzled gets life in prison

By LARRY NEUMEISTER and TOM HAYS NEW YORK (AP) — A judge sentenced a Bangladeshi immigrant to life in prison Thursday, saying he plotted to carry out a “barbaric and heinous” plot to kill as many people as he could with a suicide bombing attack in New York City’s subway beneath Times Square in 2017. Akayed Ullah, 31, was sentenced in Manhattan federal court by Judge Richard J. Sullivan, who

Minnesota cop will be charged in shooting of Black motorist

BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. (AP) — A Minnesota prosecutor said Wednesday that he will charge a white former suburban Minneapolis police officer with second-degree manslaughter for killing 20-year-old Black motorist Daunte Wright in a shooting that ignited days of unrest and clashes between protesters and police. Former Brooklyn Center police officer Kim Potter will be charged Wednesday, three days after Wright was killed during a traffic stop, Washington County Attorney Pete

Cop, police chief resign 2 days after Black motorist’s death

By MOHAMED IBRAHIM and MIKE HOUSEHOLDER BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. (AP) — A white police officer who fatally shot a Black man during a traffic stop in a Minneapolis suburb resigned Tuesday, as did the city’s police chief — moves that the mayor said he hoped would help heal the community and lead to reconciliation after two nights of protests and unrest. But police and protesters faced off once again after