tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-125634932024-03-14T00:30:38.260-04:00MARK YOUR TRUTH HEREmark j. tugglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11675060872034078211noreply@blogger.comBlogger554125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12563493.post-825353709525198082019-01-08T02:14:00.001-05:002019-01-08T02:14:24.147-05:00Cyntoia Brown Granted Clemency by Tennessee Governor<i>cyntoia brown was granted executive clemency on monday by tennessee governor bill haslam. brown was tried as an adult and convicted of first-degree murder, among other charges. brown is now eligible for release from prison august 7, 2019.</i><br />
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<i>brown, a victim of child sex trafficking, was sentenced to life for killing 43 year-old johnny allen in 2004. brown was 16 then, and living with her 24 year-old boyfriend, a pimp named kut throat, who forced her into prostitution and raped her.</i><br />
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<i>haslem said, "cyntoia brown committed, by her own admission, a horrific crime at the age of 16. yet, imposing a life sentence on a juvenile that would require her to serve at least 51 years before even being eligible for parole consideration is too harsh, especially in light of the extraordinary steps ms. brown has taken to rebuild her life."</i><br />
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<i>tennessee's supreme court in december ruled brown must remain in prison at least 51 years before release eligibility. a lawsuit for her argued mandatory life sentences without parole for juveniles is unconstitutional. the court rejected the suit, inspiring the women's march to announce nationwide protests for brown - and other sex-trafficking victims - on january 19.</i><br />
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<i>some notable celebrities, including rihanna and kim kardashian west, publicly joined people around the country who supported brown, after pbs produced a documentary about her in 2011, "me facing life: cyntoia's story." </i><br />
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<i>under the conditions for her release, brown will be required to get a job, undergo regular counseling and work at least 50 hours of community service. in a statement through her lawyers, brown thanked haslem "for your act of mercy in giving me a second chance. i will do everything i can to justify your faith in me." </i><br />
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<i> </i>mark j. tugglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11675060872034078211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12563493.post-84985522561636245932019-01-06T01:31:00.001-05:002019-01-06T01:31:08.498-05:00Pennsylvania Court rules Mothers' Drug Use while Pregnant isn't Child Abuse <i>the pennsylvania supreme court ruled on december 28 mothers who use illegal drugs while pregnant cannot be considered perpetrators of child abuse towards newborn children under the state's child protection law.</i><br />
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<i>the court's main opinion said the law's definition of a child does not include fetuses or unborn children, and victims of perpetrators must be children under the child protective services law (cpsl).</i><br />
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<i>"the fact that the actor, at a later date, becomes a person who meets one of the statutorily-defined categories of a 'perpetrator' does not bring her earlier actions - even if committed within two years pf the child's bodily injury - under the cpsl," wrote justice christine donohue. </i><br />
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<i>two justices who dissented said what should matter is when the injury shows itself, and that can be after the child is born.</i><br />
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<i>in december 2017 supreme court justice geoffrey moulton submitted an opinion, stating a mother's substance abuse while pregnant "may constitute child abuse" if child welfare authorities can prove she "intentionally, knowingly or recklessly caused, or created a likelihood of, bodily injury to a child after birth."</i><br />
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<i>while a judge said he agreed with moulton's opinion, he challenged it by stating,"there is also no doubt that most pregnant women who use illegal drugs during their pregnancies do so not because they wish to harm their child, but because they are addicted to the drugs."</i><br />
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<i>the case involves a child who spent 19 days in williamsport hospital last year after birth being treated for drug dependence that caused severe withdrawal symptoms. the mother's lawyer calls the decision a victory for public health and the rights of women and children. </i><br />
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mark j. tugglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11675060872034078211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12563493.post-61037487592653223512019-01-04T01:46:00.002-05:002019-01-04T01:46:35.123-05:00Latino Youth Targeted by Curfew Law in Denver<i>cities such as austin and san antonio have decriminalized or eliminated curfew violations - arresting youth who remain out of their homes at late hours - but denver's curfew law, which began in 1994, is still on the books.</i><br />
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<i>a recent review by the denver post reported female and male latino youth, who comprise 41% of their teen population, accounted for 67% of the city's arrests. the police department asserts they target areas with "a lot of juvenile activity" and deploy extra curfew runs during cinco de mayo. </i><br />
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<i>curfew citations mandate female and male youth undergo a months-long program and can result in fines, a permanent record and consequences for immigration proceedings.</i><br />
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<i>"the numbers here suggest that if you happen to be a mexican kid living in denver, then that's a crime," said councilman paul lopez, who represents the area most targeted by law enforcement. the denver post highlighted stores which include a latina girl ticketed for stopping at a convenience store on the way home from her late shift at a restaurant.</i><br />
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<i>the latina youth was saving money for college, but quit the job to avoid potential encounters with the police. these culturally insensitive problems existed for years, but denver's police department made data errors (uncovered by local media) which hid the existence of racial disparities. </i>mark j. tugglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11675060872034078211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12563493.post-31994638047219760542018-12-30T12:48:00.001-05:002018-12-30T12:48:06.452-05:00Senate Passes Legislation to make Lynching a Federal Crime<i>the senate on wednesday december 19 passed a bill to make lynching a federal crime. the landmark bill would add a section on lynching to the part of the u.s. code of law dealing with crimes related to civil rights. the section on lynching would be added right after the section on hate crimes.</i><br />
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<i>the justice for victims of lynching act of 2018 was proposed in june by three black senators: cory booker (d-nj), kamala harris (d-calif) and tim scott (r-sc). the bill now goes to the house of representatives. </i><br />
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<i>the bill says if two or more people are convicted of killing someone because of their "actual or perceived race, color or religion, or national origin," they can be sentenced to up to life in prison. if the lynching victim experiences "bodily harm," the perpetrators face no less than ten years in prison. </i><br />
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<i>"this is an historic piece of legislation that would criminalize lynching, attempts to lynch and conspiracy to lynch for the first time in america's history. we finally have a chance to speak the truth about our past and make clear that these hateful acts should never happen again without serious, severe and swift consequence and accountability," said harris.</i><br />
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<i>almost 200 bills were introduced in congress during the first half of the 20th century in an effort to end lynching. historically, laws allowing federal prosecution of lynchers were stalled by southern democrats who threatened filibusters in order to block anti-lynching bills.</i><br />
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<i>over 4,700 people were lynched in america from 1882 to 1968, according to researchers out of tuskegee university. almost 75% of the people lynched were black. a 2015 report by the equal justice initiative said nearly 4,000 blacks were lynched in the american south between the end of the civil war and world war two.</i><br />
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<i>in 2005, the senate passed a resolution to apologize to victims of lynching, and their descendants, for its failure to enact anti-lynching legislation. similarly, in april, the country's first memorial dedicated to the victims of lynching opened in alabama.</i><br />
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<i>harris said, "these crimes should have been prosecuted, there were victims who should have received justice but did not. 99% of all perpetrators of lynching escaped punishment by state or local officials. with this bill, we are finally able to change that and correct a burden on our history as a country." </i><br />
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mark j. tugglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11675060872034078211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12563493.post-20367445649408448042018-12-19T01:06:00.005-05:002018-12-19T01:06:54.646-05:002019 NFL Pro Bowl Selections <i>listed below are the players selected for the 2019 nfl pro bowl:</i><br />
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<b><u>american football conference</u></b><br />
<i>quarterback: patrick mahomes, kansas city chiefs (starter)</i><br />
<i> tom brady, new england patriots</i><br />
<i> phillip rivers, los angeles chargers</i><br />
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<i>running back: james conner, pittsburgh steelers (starter)</i><br />
<i> melvin gordon, los angeles chargers</i><br />
<i> phillip lindsay, denver broncos</i><br />
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<i>fullback: anthony sherman, kansas city chiefs </i><br />
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<i>wide receiver: tyreek hill, kansas city chiefs (starter)</i><br />
<i> deandre hopkins, houston texans (starter)</i><br />
<i> keenan allen, los angeles chargers</i><br />
<i> antonio brown, pittsburgh steelers</i><br />
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<i>tight end: travis kelce, kansas city chiefs (starter); </i><br />
<i> eric ebron, indianapolis colts</i><br />
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<i>offensive tackle: taylor lewan, tennessee titans (starter)</i><br />
<i> alejandro villaneuva, pittsburgh steelers (starter)</i><br />
<i> eric fisher, kansas city chiefs</i><br />
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<i>offensive guard: david decastro, pittsburgh steelers (starter) </i><br />
<i> marshal yanda, baltimore ravens (starter)</i><br />
<i> quenton nelson, indianapolis colts</i><br />
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<i>center: maurkice pouncey, pittsburgh steelers (starter)</i><br />
<i> mike pouncey,los angeles chargers</i><br />
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<i>defensive end: j.j. watt, houston texans (starter) </i><br />
<i> myles garrett, cleveland browns (starter)</i><br />
<i> melvin ingram, los angeles chargers</i><br />
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<i>interior lineman: geno atkins,cincinnati bengals (starter) </i><br />
<i> jurrell casey, tennessee titans (starter)</i><br />
<i> cameron hayward, pittsburgh steelers</i><br />
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<i>outside linebacker: von miller, denver broncos (starter) </i><br />
<i> jadeveon clowney, houston texans (starter)</i><br />
<i> dee ford, kansas city chiefs</i><br />
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<i>inside linebacker: c.j. mosley, baltimore ravens (starter)</i><br />
<i> benardrick mckinney, houston texans</i><br />
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<i>cornerback: xavien howard, miami dolphins (starter) </i><br />
<i> jalen ramsey, jacksonville jaguars (starter)</i><br />
<i> stephon gilmore, new england patriots</i><br />
<i> denzel ward, cleveland browns</i><br />
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<i>free safety: derwin james, los angeles chargers (starter)</i><br />
<i> eric weddle, baltimore ravens</i><br />
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<i>strong safety: jamal adams, new york jets </i><br />
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<i>kicker: jason myers, new york jets</i><br />
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<i>long snapper: tba</i><br />
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<i>punter: brett kern, tennessee titans</i><br />
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<i>return specialist: andre roberts, new york jets</i><br />
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<i>special teamer: adrian phillips, los angeles chargers</i><br />
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<b><u>national football conference</u></b><br />
<i>quarterback: drew brees, new orleans saints (starter) </i><br />
<i> jared goff, los angeles rams (starter)</i><br />
<i> aaron rogers, green bay packers</i><br />
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<i>running back: saquon barkley, new york giants (starter) </i><br />
<i> todd gurley, los angeles rams (starter)</i><br />
<i> ezekiel elliott, dallas cowboys</i><br />
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<i>fullback: kyle juszczyk, san francisco 49ers</i><br />
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<i>wide receiver: julio jones, atlanta falcons (starter) </i><br />
<i> michael thomas, new orleans saints (starter)</i><br />
<i> davante adams, green bay packers</i><br />
<i> adam thielen, minnesota vikings</i><br />
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<i>tight end: zach ertz, philadelphia eagles (starter)</i><br />
<i> george kittle, san francisco 49ers</i><br />
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<i>offensive tackle: tyron smith, dallas cowboys (starter) </i><br />
<i> terron armstead, new orleans saints (starter)</i><br />
<i> trent williams, washington redskins</i><br />
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<i>offensive guard: zack martin, dallas cowboys (starter)</i><br />
<i> brandon brooks, philadelphia eagles (starter)</i><br />
<i> trai turner, carolina panthers</i><br />
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<i>center: alex mack, atlanta falcons (starter)</i><br />
<i> max unger, new orleans saints.</i><br />
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<i>defensive end: cameron jordan. new orleans saints (starter)</i><br />
<i> demarcus lawrence, dallas cowboys (starter)</i><br />
<i> danielle hunter, minnesota vikings</i><br />
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<i>interior lineman: fletcher cox, philadelphia eagles (starter) </i><br />
<i> aaron donald, los angeles rams (starter)</i><br />
<i> akiem hicks, chicago bears</i><br />
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<i>outside linebacker: ryan kerrigan, washington redskins (starter) </i><br />
<i> khalil mack, chicago bears (starter)</i><br />
<i> anthony barr, minnesota vikings</i><br />
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<i>inside linebacker: luke kuechly, carolina panthers (starter)</i><br />
<i> bobby wagner, seattle seahawks</i><br />
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<i>cornerback: kyle fuller, chicago bears (starter) </i><br />
<i> patrick peterson, arizona cardinals (starter)</i><br />
<i> byron jones, dallas cowboys</i><br />
<i> darius slay, detroit lions</i><br />
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<i>free safety: eddie jackson, chicago bears (starter)</i><br />
<i> harrison smith, minnesota vikings</i><br />
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<i>strong safety: landon collins, new york giants</i><br />
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<i>kicker: aldrick rosas, new york giants</i><br />
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<i>long snapper: tba</i><br />
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<i>punter: michael dickson, seattle seahawks</i><br />
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<i>return specialist: tarik cohen, chicago bears</i><br />
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<i>special teamer: cory littleton, los angeles rams </i><br />
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<i><br /></i>mark j. tugglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11675060872034078211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12563493.post-78365566608731204132018-12-17T23:18:00.001-05:002018-12-17T23:18:42.035-05:00WTA Changes Rules Impacting Players Returning from Injury or Pregnancy <i>the women's tennis association (wta) improved rule changes on monday to ensure players are not penalized upon returning from an injury (long absence) or pregnancy. the changes were prompted by the experiences of serena willliams and victoria azarenka - two former number one, and multi-major singles champions - who re-joined the tour after giving birth.</i><br />
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<i>williams was unseeded at the 2018 french open; her first major after becoming a mother, despite winning the last major she played: the 2017 australian open. this year, williams was seeded #25 at wimbledon and #17 at the u.s. open, and lost in the finals of both majors. </i><br />
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<i>the new rule states players who return from an injury which keeps them out of competition for a year or longer may use a special ranking in 12 tournaments. no player will get bumped from her earned seeded position.</i><br />
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<i>"these changes are designed to fully support players in their return to competition, while maintaining the highest standards of athletic competition and fairness," said wta ceo and chairman steve simon. the </i><i>tour will ensure women at wta tournaments "are not penalized or prohibited from wearing leggings or compression shorts, without a skirt, dress or shorts over them." </i><br />
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<i>williams wore a provocative black bodysuit at the 2018 french open, where she pulled out with an injury before the fourth round. williams said she wore the compression suit because of a history of blood clots, including complications after childbirth.</i><br />
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<i>this fall, the president of the french tennis federation said williams could no longer wear the bodysuit at the french open. williams responded with class and grace, but his polarizing remarks angered fans and, some of whom suggested were made with female censorship and racial overtones.</i><br />
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<i>azarenka, a member of the wta players council, said she wants to make sure the wta is "the most progressive and inclusive association in sports." azarenka said, "our players should feel comfortable and confident to take time away from the courts to have a family or recover from an injury."</i><br />
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<i><br /></i>mark j. tugglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11675060872034078211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12563493.post-84943610980126379232018-12-15T23:26:00.001-05:002018-12-15T23:26:21.236-05:00Expanding Voter Protection Services for Formerly Incarcerated People<i>the new york city council passed a trio of bills this month to protect the voting rights of formerly incarcerated people and persons sentenced to probation. the full package includes:</i><br />
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<i><b><u>introduction 367, sponsored by council member rafael salamanca, jr.</u></b></i><br />
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<i>this bill requires the nyc department of probation to distribute written notices on the voting rights of persons sentenced to probation, during the intake process, for any person sentenced to probation. such written notice is to be developed in consultation with the voter assistance advisory committee.</i><br />
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<i><b><u>introduction 514-a, sponsored by council member rory lancman</u></b></i><br />
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<i>this bill requires the doc to provide written notice regarding the voting rights of formerly incarcerated persons in the state of new york to individuals upon release of doc custody, along with voter registration forms. </i><br />
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<i>it also requires the doc to make verbal reference to such written materials upon distribution and mandates yearly trainings for all relevant doc staff on, at minimum, voting laws, voter registration procedures, absentee voting, and determining eligibility to vote. </i><br />
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<i>additionally, the bill requires the nyc campaign finance board, with assistance from the voter assistance advisory committee, to include incarcerated and formerly incarcerated persons in activities they undertake aimed at encouraging and facilitating voter registration.</i><br />
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<i><b><u>introduction 1115-a, sponsored by council member fernando cabrera</u></b></i><br />
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<i>this bill requires the voter assistance advisory committee to develop and distribute guidance for agencies covered by the agency based voter registration law on the voting rights of formerly incarcerated persons. </i><br />
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<i>such covered agencies will also be required, when feasible and when requested to by an applicant currently on parole, to check publicly available information to inform such applicant if a restoration of their right to vote has been granted. </i><br />
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<i>"the issue of mass incarceration in our nation largely affects our black and brown communities, and with the pervasive misunderstanding of who can and can't vote, it's on us to educate and improve voter turnout," said council member salamanca.</i><br />
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<i>"but having the right and knowing how to use it are two different things. my bill will bring those poles closer together and as a consequence make our city more democratic, more engaged and even more safe," said council member lancman. </i><br />
<i> </i><i> </i>mark j. tugglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11675060872034078211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12563493.post-69142883404309246032018-12-15T00:36:00.001-05:002018-12-15T00:36:14.667-05:00NC Governor Vetoes State Voter Suppression Bill<i>north carolina democratic governor roy cooper on friday vetoed legislation to implement a voter photo identification mandate added to the state's constitution in a recent referendum. 55% of voters approved a constitutional amendment last month requiring voter photo id.</i><br />
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<i>"requiring photo ids for in-person voting is a solution in search of a problem. instead, the real election problem is votes harvested illegally through absentee ballots, which this proposal fails to fix," said cooper, referencing an investigation of alleged absentee ballot fraud in the state's ninth congressional district election in november.</i><br />
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<i>cooper has repeatedly opposed voter id legislation over the years, saying it was unnecessary and would prevent many black, brown and poor citizens from exercising their right to cast ballots. republican leaders in the gop-dominated general assembly vowed late friday to override, a move some observers expect will lead to litigation.</i><br />
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<i>the bill greatly expands the number of qualifying ids and exceptions compared to legislation blocked earlier this decade. permitted ids would include employee id cards for state and local governments, student ids from colleges and universities, and traditional driver's licenses and military id.</i><br />
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<i>there also would be a new, free, photo voter identification card produced by county election boards. people having trouble obtaining an id could fill out forms at the polling site, and their ballots would likely be counted, too. </i><br />
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<i>federal judges struck down a 2013 state law including photo voter id and other voting restrictions. the judges ruled the law was approved with intentional racial discrimination in mind. </i><br />
<i> </i>mark j. tugglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11675060872034078211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12563493.post-39353855503648222812018-12-14T00:19:00.001-05:002018-12-14T00:19:37.680-05:002019 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees <i>the 2019 rock and roll hall of fame class was announced yesterday. def leppard, janet jackson, radiohead, roxy music, stevie nicks, the cure and the zombies will be honored at the 34th annual ceremony at the barclays center in brooklyn, new york on march 29, 2019.</i><br />
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<i>of the seven artists named, three are first-time nominees: def leppard, roxy music and stevie nicks, who is already inducted as a member of fleetwood mac. as for the fan votes, four of the five artists who topped that tally are def leppard, stevie nicks, the cure and the zombies.</i><br />
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<i>rock and roll hall of fame inductees are recognized for having contributed over 25 years of musical excellence. each year, the official nominating committee selects a group of artists nominated for induction. the process is not public, but visitors to the museum can share which artists they'd like to see as future nominees.</i><br />
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<i>in 2018, fans submitted their favorite eligible artist picks over 65,000 times. five of the top 10 most popular choices were included on the 2019 ballot: def leppard, janet jackson, radiohead, rage against the machine and stevie nicks.</i><br />
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<i>official ballots are sent to more than 1,000 voters, including every living rock hall inductee, artists, members of the music industry and music historians. the top artists receiving the most votes become members of this year's class of inductees. </i>mark j. tugglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11675060872034078211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12563493.post-36918236290007967122018-11-17T00:01:00.001-05:002018-11-17T00:01:15.468-05:00Judge rules in favor of CNN and to restore press credentials of reporter Jim Acosta<i>a federal judge on friday ruled in favor of cnn and reporter jim acosta, who was reprimanded by the white house after a heated dispute with president donald trump during a press conference last week. the judge ordered the white house to restore the press credentials stripped from acosta.</i><br />
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<i>judge timothy j. kelly, a trump appointee, granted cnn's motion for a temporary restraining order to prevent the trump administration from keeping acosta off white house grounds. acosta, cnn's chief white house correspondent, is the first reporter with a banned "hard pass." </i><br />
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<i>cnn sued trump and other white house officials on tuesday over the revocation. the network and government lawyers argued whether the president had the power to revoke a reporter's access. kelly agreed with the government: there was no first amendment right to come onto the grounds. but, he said once the white house opened the grounds to reporters, the first amendment was applicable.</i><br />
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<i>kelly's ruling emphasized the white house's decision to ban acosta violates the fifth amendment, which guarantees due process in government actions. kelly said the white house's decision-making was "so shrouded in mystery that the government could not tell me...who made the decision."</i><br />
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<i>cnn stated, "we are gratified with this result and we look forward to a full resolution in the coming days. our sincere thanks to all who have supported not just cnn, but a free, strong and independent press." acosta said, "i just want to thank all my colleagues in the press who supported me this week. i want to thank the judge for this ruling. and let's go back to work." </i><br />
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<i>trump said the white house will write rules to satisfy the court's due process concerns. trump also suggested his administration will continue to fight cnn legally. trump said, "we will end up back in court and we will win." </i><br />
<i> </i>mark j. tugglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11675060872034078211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12563493.post-62125755974082451012018-11-16T23:13:00.002-05:002018-11-16T23:13:41.422-05:00Denver Nuggets add WNBA legend Sue Bird to their front office<i>sue bird, an 11-time wnba all-star and three-time wnba champion, joined the denver nuggets' front office, the team announced friday. bird, 38, finished her 16th season with the seattle storm, who captured the 2018 wnba title.</i><br />
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<i>"we are very excited to have sue join our organization. her resume certainly speaks for itself and as a still active player she will offer an extremely unique perspective," said tim connely, nuggets president of basketball operations.</i><br />
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<i>bird was named to the all-decade team in 2006 and has been an all-wnba first team selection five teams. bird ranks first in assists (2,831), career games (508) and minutes played (16,173). bird is third in points (6,154), three-point field goals (855) and fifth in steals (652).</i><br />
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<i>bird helped the university of connecticut win two national championships in 2000 and 2002. bird was the first overall pick in the 2002 wnba draft, and is also a four-time olympic gold medalist. </i>mark j. tugglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11675060872034078211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12563493.post-60530338956782963952018-11-08T12:45:00.003-05:002018-11-08T12:45:49.537-05:002018 Midterm Election Records Set<i>the 2018 midterm election results on tuesday set the following records:</i><br />
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<i>fundraising for congressional elections.</i><br />
<i>early voter turnout in a non-presidential election.</i><br />
<i>the number of candidates running.</i><br />
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<i>the number of female candidates running.</i><br />
<i>the number of female candidates elected.</i><br />
<i>the number of women of color running.</i><br />
<i>the youngest woman elected to congress.</i><br />
<i>the first native american women elected to congress.</i><br />
<i>the first muslim women elected to congress.</i><br />
<i>the first korean-american woman elected to congress.</i><br />
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<i>the number of lgbt candidates running.</i><br />
<i>the first openly gay lgbt governor.</i><br />
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<i><br /></i>mark j. tugglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11675060872034078211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12563493.post-68141945162574067852018-11-07T18:46:00.001-05:002018-11-07T18:46:05.521-05:00Midterm Election Victories for Drug Policy Reform and Marijuana Legalization<i>last night's midterm elections produced significant victories for drug policy reform and marijuana legalization across the country. these results can impact local, national and international policies regarding mass incarceration and the prison industrial complex. </i><br />
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<i>michigan voters approved proposal one, a ballot initiative to legalize, regulate and tax marijuana for adults 21 and over. michigan is the 10th state to legalize marijuana; the first in the midwest. </i><br />
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<i>passage of amendment two in missouri and proposition two in utah make them the 32nd and 33rd states to approve medical marijuana.</i><br />
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<i>florida voters approved amendment four, a groundbreaking and historic initiative to restore voting rights to 1.4 million people with drug and other felony convictions upon completion of their sentences.</i><br />
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<i>embracing drug policy reforms helped a number of democratic gubernatorial candidates win last night. they include michelle lujan grisham (new mexico), gavin newsom (california), jared polis (colorado), and j.b. pritzer (illinois).</i><br />
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<i>the most powerful drug policy reform opponent in the house of representatives, pete sessions of texas, lost to colin allred, a long time supporter of marijuana reform. sessions has single-handedly blocked congress from holding any votes on marijuana reform for more than a year. </i><br />
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<i>the drug policy alliance and its lobbying arm, drug policy action, helped fund and played a major role in drafting proposal one in michigan. they also played a critical role in drafting and funding amendment two in missouri.</i>mark j. tugglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11675060872034078211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12563493.post-25019800694705197182018-11-07T16:43:00.002-05:002018-11-07T16:43:37.337-05:00Clemente Aguirre Exonerated from Death Penalty in Florida after 14 Years in Prison<i>clemente javier aguirre on monday became the 21st person exonerated by dna evidence after being sentenced to death. in 2006 he was unjustly convicted of a double murder in florida.</i><br />
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<i>aguirre, 38, received incompetent legal representation at his trial - his lawyer failed to hire forensic experts or demand a single dna test on the vast amount of physical evidence collected from the crime scene.</i><br />
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<i>when dna testing was conducted years later, results excluded aguirre and repeatedly pointed to the victims' relative. based on this new evidence, the 2016 florida supreme court unanimously overturned his wrongful conviction. nonetheless, prosecutors sought to retry him again: with the death penalty.</i><br />
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<i>eventually prosecutors agreed to drop all criminal charges against aguirre. he was surrounded by his family and supporters at the exoneration, and was released from custody later in the day. aguirre spent 14 years in prison. he was legally assisted by the innocent project.</i><br />
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<i>the innocence project was founded in 1992 to exonerate the wrongly convicted through dna testing and criminal justice reform. their mission is to free the staggering number of innocent people who remain incarcerated, and help reform the system responsible for their unjust imprisonment. </i><br />
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<i> </i>mark j. tugglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11675060872034078211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12563493.post-58259295658887569192018-10-31T13:24:00.002-04:002018-10-31T13:24:47.430-04:00Washington State Overturns Death Penalty<i>the washington state supreme court, in a ruling october 11, unanimously overturned the state's death penalty. </i>"<i>the death penalty is invalid because it is imposed in an arbitrary and racially biased manner," the justices wrote.</i><br />
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<i>this opinion relied on research from university of washington professor katherine beckett and lecturer heather evans. beckett and evans reported black defendants were four and a half times more likely to receive the death penalty - compared to similarly situated non-black defendants.</i><br />
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<i>washington is the 20th state to abolish capital punishment. the state froze its death penalty under a 2014 moratorium by governor jay inslee. washington currently has eight people on death row whose sentences will be converted to life without parole following the court's historic decsiion. </i>mark j. tugglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11675060872034078211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12563493.post-66588247762650315002018-10-29T22:17:00.002-04:002018-10-29T22:17:31.885-04:00Boston Red Sox Win 2018 World Series<i>the boston red sox defeated the los angeles dodgers 5-1, in game five, to win the 2018 world series. the red sox captured their fourth championship in 15 years with stellar pitching, timely hitting and unyielding defense.</i><br />
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<i>boston is the first team in major league baseball history to clinch the league division series, league championship series and world series - on the road. they finished the year with 119 wins, including an 11-3 post-season record, and outscoring their opponents 84-51.</i><br />
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<i>red sox outfielder steve pearce was named most valuable player. pearce hit two homers and knocked in seven runs during the last two games. alex cora, in his first year as such, became the first puerto-rican born manager to win the world series. </i><br />
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<i>"this is the greatest red sox team ever," said red sox owner john henry after hoisting the trophy. "what a season. what a way to end it," said cora, who stood on the same infield last year as a hitting coach for the houston astros. pearce saluted the fans on the victory platform and shouted, "we're world champions, baby!" </i><br />
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<i>the red sox had the highest payroll in baseball this year. their multi-talented squad featured all-stars mookie betts, craig kimbrel, jd martinez, mitch moreland and chris sale. boston suffered for 86 years without a title before ending their drought in 2004. they've since won in 2007, 2013 and 2018.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>mark j. tugglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11675060872034078211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12563493.post-5858405686415612492018-10-08T00:59:00.001-04:002018-10-08T00:59:16.515-04:00Kavanaugh Confirmed as new Supreme Court Justice amid polarizing battle <i>the senate confirmed brett m. kavanaugh as the 114th supreme court justice on saturday by one of the narrowest margins (50-48) in history. amid mass protests, their decision ended a contentiously polarizing battle over his nomination and solidified a conservative majority on the court.</i><br />
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<i>kavanaugh denied allegations of christine blasey ford, who detailed in emotional testimony he sexually assaulted her when they were teenagers. two other female accusers came forward, resulting in an fbi investigation ordered by the trump administration - but only for a week. </i><br />
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<i>the fbi did not interview any of the female accusers. </i><br />
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<i>"it's been a great political gift for us. the tactics have energized our base. i want to thank the mob, because they've done the one thing we were having trouble doing, which was energizing our base," said senate majority leader mitch mcconell (r-ky).</i><br />
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<i>kavanaugh heads to the supreme court politically scarred from the confirmation fight. his victory echoes the 1991 battle over now-justice clarence thomas, who was accused of sexual assault by law professor anita hill. both testified before the senate, and thomas ultimately prevailed.</i><br />
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<i>chief justice john g. roberts jr. has received over 12 complaints of judicial misconduct against kavanaugh but is not referring them for investigation. "we have to rise above partisanship in our personal relationships. we have to treat each other with respect and dignity and with a sense of amicability that the rest of the world doesn't share," said justice sonia sotomayor.</i><br />
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<i>kavanaugh, 53, is a veteran of the george w. bush white house who spent a dozen years on the court of appeals for the d.c. circuit. he was a top deputy in the office of independent counsel kenneth w. starr when starr was conducting an inquiry into bill clinton. </i><br />
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<i> </i>mark j. tugglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11675060872034078211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12563493.post-8159961187079909742018-10-04T01:49:00.001-04:002018-10-04T01:49:20.280-04:00John Nolley is Fully Exonerated of 1997 Murder Charges in Texas<i>john nolley was exonerated of murder after 21 years.</i><br />
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<i>the fair and just decision took place at a court hearing in fort worth, texas yesterday attended by nolley, his family, his legal team, and representatives from the district attorney's office and bedford police department. </i><br />
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<i>tarrant county criminal district attorney sharen wilson filed legal papers on wednesday before judge louis sturns to dismiss 1997 murder charges against nolley based on actual evidence. </i><i>judge sturns granted the motion, and nolley's innocence became legalized.</i><br />
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<i>nolley served 19 years of a life sentence before he was released on bond in 2016. in may 2018, the texas court of criminal appeals decided his 1998 conviction should be overturned - critical evidence had been withheld from his lawyers. but the original charges remained pending until prosecutors' actions october 3.</i><br />
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<i>"today marks the end of an incredibly painful journey for john nolley, who served 19 years for a murder he didn't commit. yet this day would not have come without the extraordinary work and dedication of district attorney wilson and her conviction integrity unit, as well as the detectives in the bedford police department, who put hundreds of hours into a joint effort to re-investigate this case and seek the truth," said nina morrison, staff attorney with the innocent project.</i><br />
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<i>in july 2015, just months after taking office, wilson agreed to re-investigate nolley's case through her office's newly formed conviction integrity unit (ciu). the ciu collaborated with the innocence project and fort worth attorney regan wynn in the 1996 murder of sharon mclane.</i><br />
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<i>nolley is black. mclane is white. </i><br />
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<i>since the investigation began, the district attorney's office spoke with over 70 witnesses. prosecutors and the innocence project conducted over 100 forensic tests, including dna and latent print analyses. the complete results are not publicly available while law enforcement pursue other suspects. "i do not have any resentment toward anyone at this point," said nolley. </i><i> </i><br />
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<i> </i>mark j. tugglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11675060872034078211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12563493.post-68089534956797740502018-09-26T12:34:00.002-04:002018-09-26T12:34:46.151-04:00Bill Cosby Sentenced Three to Ten Years in Prison for Sexual Assault<i>bill cosby left a pennsylvania courtroom in handcuffs on tuesday after he was sentenced three to ten years in prison for sexually assaulting a woman in his home 14 years ago. cosby, 81, is now a registered sex offender. he will appeal the decision, was denied bail and ordered to prison immediately.</i><br />
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<i>cosby was found guilty in april 2018 of drugging and sexually assaulting andrea constand, a former temple university employee to whom he had been a mentor. constand, now a massage therapist in canada, was joined in the montgomery county courthouse by at least nine other women who accused cosby of sexual abuse. </i><br />
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<i>constand, in a victim-impact statement wrote, "life as i knew it came to an abrupt halt. i was a young woman brimming with confidence and looking forward to a future bright with possibilities. now, almost 15 years later, i'm a middle-aged woman who's been stuck in a holding pattern for most of her adult life, unable to heal fully or move forward."</i><br />
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<i>judge steven o'neill said as he announced cosby's term, "it is time for justice. mr. cosby this has all circled back to you. fallen angels suffer most." a publicist for cosby, andrew wyatt, decried the verdict outside the courtroom. wyatt called the proceedings, "the most racist and sexist trial in the history of the united states."</i><br />
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<i>cosby's defense team argued his relationship with constand was consensual, and the drug he gave her, benadryl, was to relax her because she was tense. after his subsequent arrest in december 2015, cosby's first trial ended inconclusively with a hung jury after six days of deliberations.</i><br />
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<i>but at the retrial here in april - in the same courthouse and before the same judge - a jury convicted cosby, on the second day of their deliberations, with three counts of aggravated indecent assault. one major difference in the second trial was the judge's decision to allow five additional women to testify against cosby. their testimony bolstered constrand's.</i><br />
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<i>cosby faced a maximum 30-year prison term: 10 years for each of three counts of assault he was convicted of. but judge o'neill chose to merge the counts into one, as is allowed when they stem from the same event. under pennsylavania sentencing guidelines, cosby might be eligible for parole after serving three years - and may serve a maximum of 10 years in prison. </i>mark j. tugglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11675060872034078211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12563493.post-9814694894535727002018-09-14T00:53:00.003-04:002018-09-14T00:53:38.236-04:00Seattle Storm sweep the Washington Mystics to win the 2018 WNBA Title <i>the seattle storm defeated the washington mystics 98-82 on wednesday to win the 2018 wnba championship in a three-game sweep. seattle all-star forward breanna stewart was named finals most valuable player. their dominant victory was the third career title in franchise history.</i><br />
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<i>stewart averaged over 25 points and six rebounds in the series, and scored 30 points in game three. forward natasha howard, playing in her fourth consecutive wnba finals, provided a career-high 29 points and 14 rebounds in game three. guard sue bird finished with 10 points and 10 assists </i><br />
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<i>the mystics cut an 18-point lead to five in the fourth quarter, but seattle quickly pulled away. </i><i>"we were up at halftime, but we knew d.c. was going to come back. it was how we countered that when things got close. that's what really separated us again," said stewart. </i><br />
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<i>stewart, 24, is a dynamic player with an immaculate resume. in high school, she was the national gatorade player of the year, the gatorade female athlete of the year and a mcdonald's all-american. she won four ncaa titles - and four finals mop's - with connecticut. in 2016, she was the # 1 draft pick, rookie of the year and played on the olympic team. in 2018, stewart was named most valuable player and first-team all wnba. </i><br />
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<i>seattle won 26 games during the regular season, and entered the playoffs as the #1 seed. last year their record was 15-19. but coach dan hughes, in his first year with the storm, was optimistic despite losing their season opener to phoenix, because they won five in a row afterwards. "i think this was our year. all year you could just see the escalation," hughes said. </i><br />
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<i>bird, an 11-time all-star point guard, anchored seattle to titles in 2004 and 2010. bird, 37, said, "each championship is special in its own way, but this one is probably going to have a different meaning for me. there is probably no comparison to be honest. i didn't know if i'd be playing at this point. our team went through a rebuild and yes, i decided to stay. once we got stewie and jewell, we knew we'd get to the other side, but how do you know you're going to get to the other side this fast?" </i><br />
<i> </i>mark j. tugglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11675060872034078211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12563493.post-42839369130381619552018-09-12T23:52:00.002-04:002018-09-12T23:52:41.232-04:00Naomi Osaka and Novak Djokovic Win 2018 US Open Singles Championships<i>naomi osaka of japan defeated serena williams of the u.s. 6-2, 6-4 on saturday to win the us open women's singles championship at the billie jean national tennis center in new york city. osaka claimed her first career major singles title, and is now ranked #7 in the world.</i><br />
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<i>osaka, 20, is a charming, humble and shy young woman. she was in tears after defeating her childhood idol. </i><i>"when i was growing up, i did a whole report on her in the third grade. i colored it and everything. i said, i want to be like her," osaka remarked afterwards.</i><br />
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<i>osaka holds dual citizenship. her father is haitian and her mother is japanese. her father introduced her to tennis as a child. he also modeled her athletic journey, ironically, after richard williams - the eccentric, yet visionary father of serena. </i><br />
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<i>osaka was dominant at the us open. she dropped one set, and lost 34 games. in the final, osaka had six aces, saved five of six break points, broke serena four times and made just 14 unforced errors. </i><i>in the second set, williams endured a warning, point penalty and game penalty - resulting in major controversy - but osaka thoroughly outplayed serena and earned the biggest win of her life.</i><br />
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<i>novak djokovic of serbia defeated juan martin del potro of argentina 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 on sunday at the billie jean king national tennis center in new york city to win the us open men's singles championship. djokovic ties pete sampras with 14 career major singles titles, which is third most in men's history. </i><br />
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<i>"i was hoping he was going to be here, but he's not...he's my idol. pete, i love you" djokovic said about sampras. djokovic was also gracious in honoring del potro, a longtime friend and 2009 us open champion whom, like djokovic, suffered major injuries on the comeback trail. "i believe he'll be here again with the championship trophy, i really do," said djokovic. </i><br />
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<i>djokovic, a former #1 player, sat out the second half of 2017 due to elbow pain which plagued him for more than a year. "when i had the surgery in my elbow earlier this year, i could truly understand what juan martin was going through. difficult times, but you learn through adversity. i try to take the best out of myself in those moments," remarked djokovic.</i><br />
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<i>djokovic, 31, won his second consecutive major title. he defeated kevin anderson of south africa to win his fourth career wimbledon title in july. djokovic also has six australian open titles, three us open titles and one french open title. additionally, he became the only male to win nine atp titles, after his straight-set win over roger federer at the western and southern open in cincinnati.</i><br />
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mark j. tugglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11675060872034078211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12563493.post-52723775120193951862018-09-07T00:48:00.001-04:002018-09-07T00:48:25.678-04:00Five U.S. states reduced their prison population by 14-25% over the last decade<i>a new report by the sentencing project describes the changes in policy and practice which enabled five states to reduce their prison population between 14-25%. the book, decarceration strategies: how 5 states achieved substantial prison population reductions, shows how these states' prison population reductions outweighs the national average over the last decade.</i><br />
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<i>the five states profiled in the report (connecticut, michigan, mississippi, rhode island and south carolina) were selected for their geographic and political diversity, and can serve as a model for decarceration throughout america. each state has implemented a range of policy reforms, as well as decision-making by stakeholders.</i><br />
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<i>connecticut: prison population declined 25% from 2007-2016. the state focused on reducing young people's contact with the justice system through changing criteria for detention, raising the age of adult jurisdiction from 16 to 18, and reducing school suspensions.</i><br />
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<i>michigan: prison population declined 20% from 2006-2016. the state increased parole grants by expanding capacity of the parole board, and reduced prison recidivism by establishing technical rule violator centers for enhanced programming and services.</i><br />
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<i>mississippi: prison population declined 17.5% from 2008-2016. the state reduced time served in prison by scaling back the "truth in sentencing" policy from 85% time served to 25%, applied changes retroactively, and adopted a risk assessment instrument which contributes to the doubling of the parole approval rate.</i><br />
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<i>rhode island: prison population declined 23% from 2008-2016. the state reduced time served in prison by eliminating mandatory sentenced for drug crimes, and establishing earned time-credits of 10 days per month.</i><br />
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<i>south carolina: prison population declined 14% from 2008-2016. the state reduced parole violator revocations to prison through diversion to alternative sanctions, and reduced prison recidivism for 17 to 25 year-old people through enhanced job-related prison programming and intensive aftercare reentry services. </i>mark j. tugglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11675060872034078211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12563493.post-55915365793928571432018-08-26T16:11:00.001-04:002018-08-26T16:11:11.828-04:002018 WNBA Year End Awards<i>listed below are the recipients of the 2018 wnba season awards:</i><br />
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<i>most valuable player - breanna stewart, seattle storm</i><br />
<i>defensive player of the year - sylvia fowles, minnesota lynx</i><br />
<i>rookie of the year - a'ja wilson, las vegas aces</i><br />
<i>sixth woman of the year - jonquel jones, connecticut sun</i><br />
<i>most improved player - natasha howard, seattle storm</i><br />
<i>coach of the year - nicki collen, atlanta dream</i><br />
<i>kim perrot sportswoman of the year - sue bird, seattle storm</i><br />
<br />mark j. tugglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11675060872034078211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12563493.post-52049239308129838922018-08-11T12:28:00.001-04:002018-08-11T12:28:02.900-04:00Gentrification increases Quality of Life complaints in NYC <i>gentrification has increased the quality of life complaints made in two predominantly latino new york city areas, west 136th street in harlem and the bushwick neighborhood of brooklyn. </i><br />
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<i>buzzfeed news analyzed over 17 million calls made to 311 - a hotline for city residents to report non-emergency matters - and compared this with historical demographic and economic data from the census. </i><br />
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<i>research shows black and brown people are less likely to use 311 to file complaints. </i><i>as the white population grew on west 136th street and housing values increased, 311 complaints increased from 130 between 2012 and 2014 to nearly 3,000 between 2015 and 2017: mostly about noise.</i><br />
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<i>newcomers explained they relied on 311 to avoid conflicts with neighbors. reporter lam thuy vo said, "while not every 311 call results in a visit from the cops, officers from the local precinct do respond when they're not handling emergencies."</i><br />
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<i>anthony posada of the legal aid society's community justice unit said these 311 complaints eventually led to an increase in policing within black and brown communities. </i><br />
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<br />mark j. tugglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11675060872034078211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12563493.post-43706945868056822752018-08-07T12:24:00.002-04:002018-08-07T12:24:11.681-04:00International Overdose Awareness Day is August 31<i>international overdose awareness day takes place august 31. this global event is dedicated to raising awareness of the overdose crisis and the solutions we need to save lives.</i><br />
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<i>drug overdose remains the leading cause of preventable death in the u.s. international overdose awareness day provides an opportunity to affirm the lives of those we have lost while remembering we all have a role to play in helping people live healthier lives.</i><br />
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<i>for almost two decades, the drug policy alliance has been one of the leading advocates for harm reduction policies to significantly decrease preventable overdose deaths caused by drugs in the u.s. </i><br />
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<i>as a result, the vast majority of states now have "911 good samaritan" laws and some form of access to naloxone - which includes effective policies and meaningful solutions to save countless lives of diverse people across the country. </i>mark j. tugglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11675060872034078211noreply@blogger.com0