Protest

SAN FRANCISCO — It could cost California more than $800 billion to compensate Black residents for generations of over-policing, disproportionate incarceration and housing discrimination, economists have told a state panel considering reparations. The preliminary estimate is more than 2.5 times California’s $300 billion annual budget, and does not include a recommended $1 million per older Black resident for health disparities that have shortened their average life span. Nor does the figure count compensating people for property unjustly taken by the government or devaluing Black businesses, two other harms the task force says the state perpetuated. Black residents may not receive cash payments anytime soon, if ever, because the state may never adopt the economists’ calculations. The reparations task force is scheduled to discuss the numbers Wednesday and can vote to adopt the suggestions or come up with its own figures. The proposed number comes from a consulting team of five … [Read more...] about Reparations for Black Californians could top $800 billion

The King and Queen Consort are in Germany - the first state visit since the start of the new monarch's reign. The couple arrived at Berlin's Brandenburg Airport at about 1pm UK time, and visited the Brandenburg Gate, the first time the landmark has been used to welcome any visiting head of state. Day one of their three-day tour in one of the EU's leading nations will also include a state dinner with President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. The King took time to greet individuals who were waiting at the gate and spoke to a group of girls who had recently visited London, and a schoolchild who he asked: "No school today?" The King will head to the Presidential Palace, where he will learn what Germany is doing to support Ukraine, and address the German parliament, speaking in both English and German. It is rumoured that some of the King's German cousins have been invited to attend the event. One of these relatives include Prince Donatus of Hesse, who dined with the late Queen … [Read more...] about King and Queen Consort arrive in Berlin for first state visit

Donald Trump has denied he incited violence to be carried out against Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg in one of his recent Truth Social posts, blaming the outrage on "fake news media." On March 23, Trump shared an article on Truth Social that used an image of the former president holding a baseball bat next to a photo of Bragg, the prosecutor leading the Stormy Daniels hush money investigation in which the Republican faces a potentially historic indictment and arrest over. Hours later, Trump warned on Truth Social of the potential for "death and destruction" should Bragg's investigation result in a criminal charge against the former president, leading to accusations that Trump is inciting his supporters to carry out attacks and violent disorder with his social media activity. In an interview with Sean Hannity on Monday, the Fox News host asked Trump why he would "open yourself up to criticism" with his Truth Social posts. Trump said that he was unaware that … [Read more...] about Donald Trump’s bizarre Alvin Bragg baseball bat “threat” explanation

The government benefits began their existence as objects of partisan rancor and harsh criticism. Eventually, though, they became so popular that politicians of both parties promised to protect them. It was true of Social Security and Medicare. And now the pattern seems to be repeating itself with Obamacare. Consider what has happened recently in North Carolina: Only a decade after the state’s Republican politicians described the law as dangerous and refused to sign up for its expansion of Medicaid, Republicans and Democrats came together to pass such an expansion . The Republican-controlled House in North Carolina passed the bill 87 to 24, while the Republican-controlled Senate passed it 44 to 2. “Wow, have things changed,” Jonathan Cohn wrote in a HuffPost piece explaining how the turnabout happened . Obamacare — the country’s largest expansion of health insurance since Medicare and Medicaid in 1965 — is still not as widely accepted as those programs. North Carolina … [Read more...] about Obamacare Keeps Winning

One of the notable dynamics of American life today is that conservatives report being personally happier than liberals but also seem more politically discontented. The political left has become more institutionalist, more invested in experts and establishments, even as progressive culture seems more shadowed by unhappiness and even mental illness. Meanwhile conservatives claim greater contentment in their private lives — and then go out and vote for paranoid outsiders and burn-it-down populists. These dynamics aren’t entirely new: As Musa al-Gharbi writes in an essay for American Affairs, the happiness gap between liberals and conservatives is a persistent social-science finding, visible across several eras and many countries. Meanwhile, the view that “my life is pretty good, but the country is going to hell,” which seems to motivate a certain kind of middle-class Donald Trump supporter, would have been unsurprising to hear in a bar or at a barbecue in 1975 or 1990, no less than … [Read more...] about How the Right Turned Radical and the Left Became Depressed

close Video Fox News Flash top headlines for March 29 Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. South African police have launched a manhunt for convicted rapist and murderer Thabo Bester who escaped from a privately-run maximum security prison in the Free State province under bizarre circumstances. Bester, known as the "Facebook rapist," was found guilty in 2012 of raping two women and killing one after luring them with the social media platform. In March last year officials reported that he had died in a fire in his cell at the Mangaung Correctional Center, near Bloemfontein. But now it appears Bester escaped from his cell amid the fire and has been living lavishly in Johannesburg's posh Hyde Park suburb. SOUTH AFRICAN PROTESTS CONTINUE AS DEMONSTRATORS CALL FOR THE PRESIDENT TO RESIGN According to information first revealed by the South African news outlet GroundUp and confirmed by the … [Read more...] about South African police launch manhunt for convicted rapist, murder who escaped from prison

Angry broadcast unions have pledged to launch a strike ballot today if BBC bosses ask for voluntary redundancies to cover a £2billion funding shortfall. The threat follows yesterday's heated management meeting with screen stars including Joanna Lumley, Lord Robert Winston, Bill Oddie and John Humphrys. Lord Winston complained morale had hit "rock bottom" while Humphrys was unhappy at being "shot down" for trying to protest at the cuts. But director general Mark Thompson said it had been "positive" meeting, adding: "We've got to make sure we keep as much talent as possible." Thompson yesterday announced 2,500 job losses and a 10 per cent cut in new programmes, meaning more repeats. He had planned to send out 3,000 letters today asking for volunteers to quit. Gerry Morrissey, of union Bectu, said: "He agreed on the principle of retraining and redeployment but that is meaningless if they start calling for volunteers." Thousands of journalists and technical staff are set to … [Read more...] about Furious BBC staff vow to call strike vote today