In First, Arizona Republic Endorses Democrat for President
September 28, 2016
Headlines
This comes as Arizona’s largest newspaper, The Arizona Republic, has endorsed Hillary Clinton—marking the paper’s first time ever endorsing a Democratic candidate for president. The editorial board wrote, "Since The Arizona Republic began publication in 1890, we have never endorsed a Democrat over a Republican for president. Never. … This year is different."
San Diego: Police Kill Unarmed Black Man Having Mental Health Breakdown
September 28, 2016
Headlines
Police in the San Diego, California, suburb of El Cajon shot and killed an unarmed African-American man Tuesday, after his sister called 911 to report her brother was having a mental health emergency. Eyewitnesses said 30-year-old Alfred Olango was holding his hands up when he was tased by one police officer and then fired upon five times by another officer. In a dramatic video posted to Facebook, a woman named Rumbie Mubaiwa begins filming moments after Alfred Olango is shot dead. In the background, Olango’s sister is heard tearfully confronting police officers over the death of her brother.
Olango’s sister: "Guys, why couldn’t you tase him? Why couldn’t you guys tase him? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?"
Rumbie Mubaiwa: "What’s his birthday, so they could find his information?"
Olango’s sister: "Why couldn’t you guys tase him? I told you he’s sick. And you guys shot him."
El Cajon Police Chief Jeff Davis acknowledged it took officers 50 minutes to respond to the 911 call of Olango’s sister, who warned police her brother was mentally ill. Chief Davis disputed eyewitness accounts that Olango had his hands in the air. He said police had obtained a video showing officers fired only after Olango pointed an object at them. He declined to make the video public but released a single still image to the press in which he says Alfred Olango’s hands appear to be raised at shoulder height, as if to fire a weapon. It’s unclear from the photo if Olango is holding any objects. Chief Davis acknowledged there was no weapon found at the scene of the killing. The killing immediately sparked protests. Hundreds gathered at the Los Panchos restaurant where Olango was killed; they later protested outside El Cajon police headquarters. We’ll have more on the police killing of Alfred Olango after headlines.
Charlotte: 9-Year-Old Girl's Testimony About Police Killings Goes Viral
September 28, 2016
Headlines
Meanwhile, a nine-year-old girl’s testimony at a City Council meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina, about police brutality has gone viral, as protests continue over the fatal police shooting of Keith Lamont Scott. This is Zianna Oliphant.
Zianna Oliphant: "I’ve been born and raised in Charlotte, and I’ve never felt this way 'til now. And I can't stand how we’re treated. It’s a shame that our fathers and mothers are killed, and we can’t even see them anymore. It’s a shame that we have to go to the graveyard and bury them. And we have tears, and we shouldn’t have tears. We need our fathers and mothers to be by our side."
That was nine-year-old Zianna Oliphant testifying at the Charlotte City Council meeting Monday.
"I Won't Be Silent": Serena Williams on Police Killings of African Americans
September 28, 2016
Headlines
This comes as tennis superstar Serena Williams has also spoken out about police brutality. In a Facebook post, she describes riding in the car recently with her 18-year-old nephew, who was driving. When she spotted a police officer, she remembered the video of the fatal police shooting of Philando Castile, which was filmed by his girlfriend, Diamond "Lavish" Reynolds, in which she narrated the aftermath of the shooting while she was still in the car, with a police officer pointing a gun at her and her four-year-old daughter as her boyfriend lay dying next to her. Serena Williams wrote: "I would never forgive myself if something happened to my nephew. He’s so innocent. So were all 'the others'. ... I won’t be silent."
Wells Fargo CEO to Return $41 Million in Compensation Amid Scandal
September 28, 2016
Headlines
In financial news, Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf is being forced to return $41 million of his personal compensation amid a massive scandal at the major Wall Street bank involving thousands of employees who took private customer information to create 2 million fake accounts in order to meet sales targets. The scandal dates back to at least 2011, and Stumpf admits he’s known about the practice since 2013. Senator Elizabeth Warren has called for Stumpf to resign and to be criminally investigated.
Afghanistan: Officials Say U.S. Drone Strike Killed 18
September 28, 2016
Headlines
In Afghanistan, local officials say a U.S. drone strike has killed 18 people in the province of Nangarhar. The local police chief says the strike killed 15 suspected militants and three civilians. He says the strike hit a house, killing almost everyone inside.
Syria: Two Major Hospitals Bombed Amid "Catastrophic" Airstrikes
September 28, 2016
Headlines
In Syria, the two largest hospitals in East Aleppo are currently closed after being struck by airstrikes this morning amid a devastating bombing campaign by the Syrian government and Russia. One health official called the strikes "catastrophic and unprecedented in modern history." There are reportedly only about 30 doctors left in East Aleppo, where 250,000 people are currently trapped.
Bernie Sanders' Brother Running for David Cameron's Parliament Seat
September 28, 2016
Headlines
In Britain, Senator Bernie Sanders’s brother, Larry Sanders, is running for former Prime Minister David Cameron’s seat in Parliament on the Green Party ticket. Larry Sanders has lived in Britain since 1969. The brothers are politically aligned, particularly on issues of economic inequality. Cameron stepped down from Parliament earlier this month, after also resigning as prime minister in July following the Brexit vote.
President Obama Nominates First U.S. Ambassador to Cuba in 50 Years
September 28, 2016
Headlines
And President Obama has nominated Jeffrey DeLaurentis to be the first U.S. ambassador to Cuba in more than a half-century. It is the latest step in the thawing of ties between Cuba and the United States. DeLaurentis is currently the U.S. chief of mission in Havana. His nomination has to be confirmed by the Senate, where some lawmakers—including Senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz—have said they’ll oppose any nomination for a U.S. ambassador to Cuba.