‘What You Need To Know:’ McCarthy Calls for Impeachment & more

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Sybil Wilkes Top 5 Stories for ‘What You Need To Know:’ September 13, 2023

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1. Kevin McCarthy’s Aims to Placate Conservative Members with Impeachment Inquiry

Kevin McCarthy’s Aims to Placate Conservative Members with Impeachment Inquiry

What You Need to Know:

Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy formally endorsed an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. On the House’s first day back from an extended summer break, McCarthy cited “serious and credible allegations” uncovered by Republicans into President Biden’s conduct.” As a result of Republican investigations into the president’s son, Hunter Biden, Speaker McCarthy charged, “the allegations painted a picture of a culture of corruption.”

“Through our investigations,” McCarthy continued that they found that President Biden “did lie to the American people about his own family’s foreign business dealings.” He pointed to “allegations of abuse of power, obstruction and corruption that warrant further investigation by the House of Representatives.” Closing, McCarthy said, “That’s why today, I am directing our House committee to open a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.”

2. Effort to "Stop Cop City" Halted

Effort to “Stop Cop City” Halted

WRITTEN AND CONTRIBUTED BY KHAMERON RILEY

What You Need to Know:

Atlanta officials have refused to validate over 116,000 signatures collected by activists attempting to halt the construction of a state-of-the-art police and firefighter training center called “Cop City.” The activists, seeking to force a vote on “Cop City,” claimed to have amassed a record number of signatures from Atlanta residents, well above the required number. However, city officials declined to initiate the verification process, citing a missed August 21 deadline, which had previously been extended to September by a federal judge. On September 1, an appellate court halted the enforcement of the extended deadline, creating legal uncertainty and inciting distrust between citizens, organizers, and the Atlanta government.

The Vote to Stop Cop City Coalition condemned the city’s actions, accusing them of stonewalling democracy. They criticized Mayor Andre Dickens and the City of Atlanta for failing to respond promptly to their submission.

3. The Who, Why, and What of HIV in the South

. The Who, Why, and What of HIV in the South

What You Need to Know: 

Sixteen Southern states and Washington, D.C. share the greatest burden of HIV and the highest mortality from HIV-related complications. Nine states in the Deep South [Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas] comprised 29% of the U.S. population in 2019, but accounted for nearly 44% of all new HIV infections that year. That means the Deep South has the highest rate of new HIV cases. Pointedly, Georgia leads in new HIV infections, followed by Florida and Louisiana.  52% of new HIV infections are among African Americans in the South. By gender, Black women account for 67% of new infections among all women in the South, while 6 out of 10 Black men account for new HIV infections in the South. Moreover, the majority of new infections among Black men are those who have had sex with men.

(READ MORE)

4. Judge Blocks Chino Valley Forced Outing Policy

Judge Blocks Chino Valley Forced Outing Policy

WRITTEN AND CONTRIBUTED BY KWYN TOWNSEND RILEY

What You Need to Know:

A California judge has issued a temporary restraining order on what Attorney General Rob Bonta calls Chino Valley Unified School District Board of Education’s “forced outing policy.”  The policy would require schools to inform parents if a student requests to use a name or pronoun different from their gender listed on their official records.

“The concern is how do we safeguard these students that identify as LGBTQ, and in my view, it’s a situation that is singling out a class of protected individuals differently than the rest of the students,” said Judge Thomas Garza in an oral ruling. He issued the restraining order out of an “abundance of caution.”

The ruling comes a week after Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a lawsuit to challenge the enforcement of the policy, which Bonta has said “infringes on several state protections safeguarding students’ civil and constitutional rights.”

5. Black and Missing: Jakarah Mahree Lopez-Moore

. Black and Missing: Jakarah Mahree Lopez-Moore

Jakarah Mahree Lopez-Moore has been missing from Rochester, New York since August 25. The 16-year-old was last seen leaving her house on Weld Street wearing a stressed denim jean jacket with white writing, black pants with white stripes down the legs and a dark top.

According to the family, Jakarah told her grandmother she would be right back. Her phone was turned off less than 24 hours later. Police believe she may be in danger.

Jakarah has a rose tattoo on the back of her left hand and the word “BRI” on her outer left forearm. She also wears braces on her top teeth.

Anyone with information about Jakarah’s disappearance should go to the Black and Missing Foundation website.

(SOURCE: BLACK AND MISSING)