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July 4 4,, 2022 - July 10, 2022
Vol. 49 No. 27• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com
“I was really sad. As an American, I was disgusted. It was unpatriotic. It was un-American. We were watching the Capitol building get defaced over a lie...”
Hutchinson’s bombshell testimony
Excerpts from the transcript from the June 28 hearing of the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. Bennie Thompson, (D) of Mississippi, chairs the committee. Liz Cheney (R) of Wyoming is Vice chair. The transcript was produced by CQ.
Bennie Thompson: The Select Committee has laid out the details of a multi-part pressure campaign driven by the former president aimed at overturning the results of the 2020 presidential election and blocking the transfer of power. In the weeks ahead, the committee will hold additional hearings about how Donald Trump summoned a mob of his supporters to Washington, spurred them to march on the Capitol, and failed to take meaningful action to quell the violence as it was unfolding on January 6th. However, in recent days the Select Committee has obtained new information dealing with what was going on in the White House on January 6th and in the days prior, specific detailed information about what the former president and his top aides were doing and saying in those critical hours, firsthand details of what transpired in the office of the White House chief of staff just steps from the Oval Office as the threats of violence became clear, and indeed violence ultimately descended on the Capitol in the attack on American democracy. Cassidy Hutchinson served in the Trump administration in the White House Office of Legislative Affairs from 2019 to 2020 and as a special assistant to the president in the White House chief of staff’s office from March 2020 through January 2021. *** Cassidy Hutchinson: As Mr. Giuliani and I were walking to his vehicles that evening, he
looked at me and said something to the effect of, Cass, are you excited for the 6th? It’s going to be a great day. I remember looking at him saying, Rudy, could you explain what’s happening on the 6th? He had responded something to the effect of, we’re going to the Capitol. It’s going to be great. The President’s going to be there. He’s going to look powerful. He’s — he’s going to be with the members. He’s going to be with the Senators. Talk to the chief about it, talk to the chief about it. He knows about it. Liz Cheney: And did you go back then up to the West Wing and tell Mr. Meadows about your conversation with Mr. Giuliani? Cassidy Hutchinson: I did. After Mr. Giuliani had left the campus that evening, I went back up to our office and I found Mr. Meadows in his office on the couch. He was scrolling through his phone. I remember leaning against the doorway and saying, I just had an interesting conversation with Rudy, Mark. It sounds like we’re going to go to the Capitol. He didn’t look up from his phone and said something to the effect of, there’s a lot going on, Cass, but I don’t know. Things might get real, real bad on January 6th. ***
[Videotape testimony] Cassidy Hutchinson: When we were in the offstage announce area tent behind the stage he was very concerned about the shot, meaning the photograph that we would get, because the rally space wasn’t full. One of the reasons which I’ve previously stated was because he wanted it to be full and for people to not feel excluded because they had come far to watch him at the rally. And he felt the mags
were at fault for not letting everybody in. But another leading reason and likely the primary reason is because he wanted it full and he was angry that we weren’t letting people through the mags with weapons, what the Secret Service deemed as weapons and are — are weapons. But when we were in the offstage announce tent, I was part of a conversation — I was in — I was in the vicinity of a conversation where I overheard the President say something to the effect of, you know, I - - I don’t effing care that they have weapons. They’re not here to hurt me. Take that effing mags away. Let my people in. They can march to the Capitol from here. Let the people in. Take the effing mags away. [End Videotape] ***
Cassidy Hutchinson: It was becoming clear to us and to the Secret Service that Capitol Police officers were getting overrun at the security barricades outside of the Capitol building. And they were having short — they were short people to defend the building against the rioters. Cassidy Hutchinson: I was still in the tent behind the stage. And when you’re behind the stage, you can’t really hear what’s going on in front of you. So, when Mr. McCarthy called me with this information, I answered the call. And he sounded rushed, but also frustrated and angry at me. I — I was confused because I — I didn’t know what the president had just said. He then explained the president just said he’s marching to the Capitol. You told me this whole week you aren’t coming up here. Why would you lie to me? I said I’m — I’m not lying. I wasn’t lying to you, sir. I — we’re not going to the Capitol. And he said, well, he just said it
Photos by Roy Joe Lewis
Cassidy Hutchinson on stage, Cassidy. Figure it out. *** Cassidy Hutchinson: When I returned to the White House, I walked upstairs towards the chief of staff’s office, and I noticed Mr. Ornato lingering outside of the office. Once we had made eye contact, he quickly waved me to go into his office, which was just across the hall from mine. When I went in, he shut the door, and I noticed Bobby Engel, who was the head of Mr. Trump’s security detail, sitting in a chair, just looking somewhat discombobulated and a little lost. I looked at Tony and he had said, did you f’ing hear what happened in the beast? I said, no, Tony, I — I just got back. What happened? Tony proceeded to tell me that when the president got in the beast, he was under the impression from Mr. Meadows that the off the record movement to the Capitol was still possible and likely to happen, but that Bobby had more information. So, once the president had gotten into the vehicle with Bobby, he thought that they were going up to the Capitol. And when Bobby had relayed to him we’re not, we don’t have the assets to do it, it’s not secure,
we’re going back to the West Wing, the president had a very strong, a very angry response to that. Tony described him as being irate. The president said something to the effect of I’m the f’ing president, take me up to the Capitol now, to which Bobby responded, sir, we have to go back to the West Wing. The president reached up towards the front of the vehicle to grab at the steering wheel. Mr. Engel grabbed his arm, said, sir, you need to take your hand off the steering wheel. We’re going back to the West Wing. We’re not going to the Capitol. Mr. Trump then used his free hand to lunge towards Bobby Engel. And Mr. — when Mr. Ornato had recounted this story to me, he had motioned towards his clavicles. Liz Cheney: And was Mr. Engel in the room as Mr. Ornato told you this story? Cassidy Hutchinson: He was. Liz Cheney: Did Mr. Engel correct or disagree with any part of this story from Mr. Ornato? Cassidy Hutchinson: Mr. Engel did not correct or disagree with any part of the story.
Liz Cheney: Did Mr. Engel or Mr. Ornato ever after that tell you that what Mr. Ornato had just said was untrue? Cassidy Hutchinson: Neither Mr. Ornato nor Mr. Engel told me ever that it was untrue. *** Cassidy Hutchinson: As a staffer that worked to always represent the administration to the best of my ability and to showcase the good things that he had done for the country, I remember feeling frustrated and disappointed, and really it felt personal. I — I was really sad. As an American, I was disgusted. It was unpatriotic. It was un-American. We were watching the Capitol building get defaced over a lie, and it was something that was really hard in that moment to digest, knowing what I’ve been hearing down the hall and the conversations that were happening. Seeing that tweet come up and knowing what was happening on the Hill, and it’s something that I — it’s still — I still struggle to work through the emotions of that. Source-https://www. npr.org/2022/06/28/1108396692/ jan-6-committee-hearingtranscript
Page 2 • July 4, 2022 - July 10, 2022 • Insight News
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photo/Patrick Semansky
New Edition performs at the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans on July 3, 2011. Black culture, in all its glory, was on display over the 2022 4th of July holiday weekend in New Orleans for the in-person return of the Essence Festival of Culture. Headliners included Kevin Hart, Nicki Minaj, Janet Jackson, Mickey Guyton and New Edition.
Essence Fest is back in New Orleans after two-year hiatus By Chevel Johnson Associated Press NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Black culture, in all its glory, was on display over the 4th of July holiday weekend in New Orleans as thousands converged on the city for the in-person return of the Essence Festival of Culture. The multiday event included a Thursday performance by comedian Kevin Hart in the Smoothie King Center, followed by ticketed concerts at the Louisiana Superdome Friday through Sunday. First-time headliner, rapper Nicki Minaj, performed Friday along with another first-timer, country singer Mickey Guyton. Music icon Janet Jackson, who took the stage in 2010 and 2018, was
the featured artist on Saturday and fan favorite, 80s R&B group New Edition, closed the event on Sunday. Other artists scheduled to perform included Jazmine Sullivan, City Girls, Summer Walker, The Roots, The Isley Brothers, Method Man, Tems, Pattie Labelle and Stephanie Mills. In addition, free experiences were offered inside the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center including a tech summit, an opportunity for men called “In His Zone,” a marketplace highlighting local vendors, a food and wine experience, a beauty carnival, and the everpopular gospel celebration. Organizers encourage all participants — whether in-person or virtual —were required to download the festival’s app and registered through EssenceFestival.com. In
addition, in-person participants were required to show proof of a COVID-19 vaccination even though that requirement was dropped in March by the city since the pandemic had eased. Festival organizers have said “vaccination is for everyone’s protection” and proof of such is needed for admission. The festival, much like others the city is known for, has been on an in-person hiatus since 2020 because of the virus outbreak but was held virtually in 2020 and 2021. Before that, it had been held in New Orleans every year except in 2006 when it moved to Houston while the Superdome was being repaired following Hurricane Katrina. This year’s theme was “It’s The Black Joy For Me” and the 2022 festival will be the brand’s first to offer a live component and the
option to connect virtually. “As the nation’s largest festival by per day attendance, the Essence Festival of Culture is a staple that celebrates community and empowers equity,” Essence CEO Caroline Wanga said in a statement. “We are excited to welcome the family back to New Orleans and thrilled to connect with more of our diasporic family through new digital experiences.” Erika J. Bennett, chief marketing officer for Essence Ventures, said she enjoyed what she describes as a “reunion” that has attracted more than 500,000 visitors to its events in past years. “We know the festival is an opportunity for people, all over the world, to come together, to unite a culture, whether that’s through fashion or music or food or all the wonderful other ways we express ourselves.
Particularly after some really hard years of not being together, our theme of Black joy, really resonates,” Bennett said. Bennett said their digital experience opens access globally and has attracted more than 100 million online views. Essence, in its 27th year, started in 1995 as a onetime salute to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Essence magazine and was known as “a party with a purpose” with an original mission to give back to the community through free seminars designed to enrich women’s lives. It has since evolved into the world’s largest celebration of Black women, culture and community, organizers have said. Bennett said Essence Ventures, the parent company of Essence, supports economic equity for people of color and
works to ensure that through all of its brands as part of its purpose. “It’s important for us to support and uplift a city that’s embraced us for so many years,” she said. “Through our marketplace and through Essence Eats, we have been able to generate a $2 billion economic impact, over nearly 30 years, to the City of New Orleans. And that is a bigger part, a deeper part of our overall mission.” The city did not immediately respond to an email seeking details about the city’s current contract with the festival. The current contract runs through 2024. Discussions are currently being held regarding a contract extension, said John F. Lawson, deputy press secretary for Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s administration.
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Insight News • July 4, 2022 - July 10, 2022 • Page 3
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INSIGHT NEWS IS AUDITED BY THE ALLIANCE FOR AUDITED MEDIA TO PROVIDE OUR ADVER TISER PAR TNERS WITH THE HIGHES T LEVEL OF MEDIA ASSURANCE.
July 4 4,, 2022 - July 10, 2022
Vol. 49 No. 27• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com
Ex-cop Mohamed Noor released from custody By Amy Forliti Associated Press
Individuals riding in new and COVID-safe tour buses would hit swing states ahead of the November elections to register and mobilize GOTV for 10 million new Black voters. (Pictured from left to right: Jackie L. Hampton, NNPA National Secretary and Publisher of the Mississippi Link; Attorney Daryl Jones, Board Chair of the Transformative Justice Coalition; Attorney Barbara Arnwine, the founder, and president of the Transformative Justice Coalition; Fran Farrer, NNPA Second Vice Chair and Publisher of the County News; Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., NNPA President and CEO; Karen Carter Richards, NNPA Board Chair and President of the Houston Forward Times; Cheryl Smith, NNPA National Treasurer and Publisher of the Texas Metro News; Janis Ware, NNPA Vice Chair and Publisher of the Atlanta Voice.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The former Minneapolis police officer who fatally shot an unarmed woman who called 911 to report a possible sexual assault in the alley behind her home was released from prison last week, months after his murder conviction was overturned and he was resentenced on a lesser charge. Mohamed Noor, 36, was released from custody Monday, according to online Department of Corrections records. Noor was initially convicted of third-degree murder and manslaughter in the 2017 fatal shooting of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, a 40-yearold dual U.S.-Australian citizen and yoga teacher who was engaged to be married.
photo/Elizabeth Flores_StarTribune
FILE - Former Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor addresses Judge Kathryn Quaintance at the Hennepin County Government Center, Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021, in Minneapolis. Noor, who fatally shot a woman who called 911 to report a possible sexual assault behind her home in 2017, was released from incarceration on Monday, June 27, 2022.
NOOR 4
NNPA and Transformative Justice Coalition announce National GOTV campaign targeting 10 million more Black voters By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia Ahead of the all-important 2022 midterm elections, reports show that more than 55 million Americans remain unregistered to vote – and about 10 million are African Americans who are eligible to vote but who are unregistered. Whether the reason is apathy, suppression, or something else, the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) and the Transformative Justice Coalition seek to get to the bottom of why, with so much at stake, voter registration and GOTV mobilization remain lacking notably among Black
Americans across the nation. During the national convention marking the 195thanniversary celebration of the Black Press of America in New Orleans, leaders of both organizations announced a getout-to-vote campaign aimed at registering and mobilizing GOTV for 10 million more African Americans to vote in time for the 2022 midterms. “The NNPA has talked about the vote, and there is no better time for us to show our power,” NNPA Chair Karen Carter Richards stated during the announcement at the national convention in the Big Easy. “Let us take the lead and not be on the tail-end so we can show the present-day power of the Black Press,” continued Richards, who publishes the Houston Forward Times.
“This is a great opportunity for us; we’ve got to make this happen.” Attorney Barbara Arnwine, the founder, and president of the Transformative Justice Coalition, and her board chair and fellow lawyer Daryl Jones, told a captivated panel that their organization had recorded 72 voter suppression tactics to prevent a large population from casting ballots. Among them are strict voter laws in many Republicanled states, deceptive practices like robocalls; early voting cuts; and voter intimidation. “Black voters did our share in 2020,” Arnwine remarked. “Ninety-three percent of all eligible Black voters registered in Georgia. Yet, in the 2021 Georgia Senate run-
off, 93 percent of all registered Black voters turned out. That’s why people don’t understand where the real power is.” Along with NNPA President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., Richards, NNPA Executive Board members Janis Ware, Fran Farrer, Cheryl Smith, and Jackie Hampton, Arnwine and Jones announced that the groups would utilize a multivehicle “votercade” to get out the vote. They said individuals riding in new and COVID-safe tour buses would hit swing states ahead of the November elections to register and mobilize GOTV for 10 million new Black voters. Chavis said artists from Roc Nation, the company run by hip-hop
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Walz vows to defend abortion rights against GOP challenger By Steve Karnowski Associated Press ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Tim Walz painted Republican challenger Scott Jensen as an extremist Tuesday as he vowed to protect abortion rights in Minnesota, one of the few Midwestern states where abortion is expected to remain legal. Friday’s U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade has changed the dynamics of the election campaign in Minnesota, Walz said at a news conference. He noted that Jensen has said he supports a ban on all abortions in Minnesota except to save the life of the mother, even in cases of rape or incest, and has pledged to appoint anti-abortion judges to the state Supreme Court. “Reproductive rights are on the ballot in November. The stakes are clear, they could not be higher,” Walz said. “The governor’s office is now the last line of defense against an abortion ban in Minnesota.” Abortion will remain legal in Minnesota, for now, under an 1995 state Supreme Court decision, but the state has some restrictions, including
photo/Trisha Ahmed
Democratic Gov. Tim Walz center, painted Republican challenger Scott Jensen as an extremist at a news conference at the State Capitol in St. Paul, Minn., on Tuesday, June 28, 2022, as he vowed to protect abortion rights in Minnesota. a
24-hour waiting period. But Walz said those rights remain at risk, noting that his predecessor vetoed eight bills that would have increased Minnesota’s restrictions. And while five of the seven current Minnesota Supreme Court justices were appointed by Democratic governors, he pointed out that three will hit the
mandatory retirement age of 70 in the next gubernatorial term. Walz said he expects abortion rights will help Democrats fire up their base and appeal to suburban women swing voters who could be the key to not only the governor’s race, but control of the Legislature, which is now divided between Senate Republican and House Democratic majorities.
Sports
“This decision changes everything,” Walz said. Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan said that since abortion rights supporters aren’t a majority in either chamber, despite the Democratic House majority, preserving Walz’s veto power is essential. Other Democratic
Thunder take Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren with No. 2 overall pick
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Despite majority support among Americans for upholding Roe v. Wade, the 50-year-old Supreme Court decision that ensured a woman’s right to choose an abortion, the law was overturned Friday. For African American women, the ruling has heavy consequences. Friday’s Supreme Court ruling allowing states to decide on abortion rights calls into question women’s healthcare options, rights to privacy — and targets the poorest minorities in the U.S.
African American women’s health at risk as Roe v. Wade is overturned As states enact new laws and reinstate pre-Roe v. Wade laws restricting or banning abortion, the women who face the greatest challenge are those most in need —women of color — especially African American women — who live in poverty. Black women are those most likely to live in adverse conditions — they’re the people who lack fundamental education and opportunity, who are likeliest to experience abuse in relationships; who are too young and lack the support and financial ability to provide for a child; who have medical problems that put their lives at risk, and who lack access to quality healthcare — these are, in every sense, the women targeted and deeply impacted by Friday’s decision. Black women, particularly those living in poverty, make up the largest ethnic group to need abortion services at some point in their lives. One in five Black women in the U.S. lives below
the federal poverty line. And, though they make up only 13% of the overall population, nearly 40% of abortions are performed on African American women. Some of the most restrictive laws are being enacted in southern states, where large portions of the population are African American, poverty is widespread, and to reach a state where abortion is legal means traveling hundreds of miles, taking time off from work, and covering heavy childcare expenses. For Black women in the U.S., 70% are the primary financial provider to their families, compared with 36% of white women. These factors will make it impossible to even access abortion healthcare, thus forcing them into deeper poverty and causing children to be born to mothers who cannot provide for them. In addition to the many barriers Black women face due to the racial inequity
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Minnesota reports first case of monkeypox
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Page 4 • July 4, 2022 - July 10, 2022 • Insight News
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Business
COVID vaccines saved 20M lives in 1st year, scientists say By Carla K. Johnson AP Medical Writer Nearly 20 million lives were saved by COVID-19 vaccines during their first year, but even more deaths could have been prevented if international targets for the shots had been reached, researchers reported Thursday. On Dec. 8, 2020, a retired shop clerk in England received the first shot in what would become a global vaccination campaign. Over the next 12 months, more than 4.3 billion people around the world lined up for the vaccines. The effort, though marred by persisting inequities, prevented deaths on an unimaginable scale, said Oliver Watson of Imperial College London, who led the new modeling study. “Catastrophic would be the first word that comes to mind,” Watson said of the outcome if vaccines hadn’t been available to fight the coronavirus. The findings “quantify just how much worse the pandemic could have been if we did not have these vaccines.” The researchers used data from 185 countries to estimate that vaccines prevented 4.2 million COVID-19 deaths in India, 1.9 million in the United States, 1 million in Brazil, 631,000 in France and
NNPA From 3 magnate and business mogul Jay-Z, would accompany the votercade in some cities. Music superstar Stephanie Mills also pledged to “get on the bus with the Black Press and the Transformative Justice Coalition.” Chavis said he’s convinced other celebrities will also join the national GOTV campaign. “The first form of voter
Noor From 3
photo/iStock
The researchers used data from 185 countries to estimate that vaccines prevented 4.2 million COVID-19 deaths in India, 1.9 million in the United States, 1 million in Brazil, 631,000 in France and 507,000 in the United Kingdom. 507,000 in the United Kingdom. An additional 600,000 deaths would have been prevented if the World Health Organization target of 40% vaccination coverage by the end of 2021 had been met, according to the study published Thursday in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases. The main finding
— 19.8 million COVID-19 deaths were prevented — is based on estimates of how many more deaths than usual occurred during the time period. Using only reported COVID-19 deaths, the same model yielded 14.4 million deaths averted by vaccines. The London scientists excluded China because
of uncertainty around the pandemic’s effect on deaths there and its huge population. The study has other limitations. The researchers did not include how the virus might have mutated differently in the absence of vaccines. And they did not factor in how lockdowns or mask wearing might have changed
if vaccines weren’t available. Another modeling group used a different approach to estimate that 16.3 million COVID-19 deaths were averted by vaccines. That work, by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation in Seattle, has not been published. In the real world, people wear masks more often
suppression is self-suppression,” Dr. Chavis asserted. “This last primary election showed that some of us were keeping ourselves from voting. There are 55 million unregistered Americans eligible to vote, and 10 million are African Americans,” Chavis continued. “What if those 10 million were registered? We wouldn’t have worried about Donald Trump or the craziness of what the U.S. Supreme Court is doing now. Elections have consequences. The overturned Roe v. Wade, the overturned gun laws – are consequences of elections.”
With more than 235 African Americanowned newspapers and media companies serving as members, the NNPA represents the Black Press of America. The Transformative Justice Coalition’s mission includes the systematic change that achieves racial justice, gender, economic and social justice, and human rights through public education and engagement initiatives that attend equally to hearts and minds as well as the social systems and structure in which they exist. Further, the coalition dedicates itself to informed
civic engagement and equal voting rights for everyone. They use a voting rights map of shame to inform the public of threats to America’s democracy, how to protect their voting rights, and steps to take to ensure the ability to cast a ballot and make sure it’s counted. The organization also seeks the restoration of voting rights for ex-felons. “[Anti-voting rights organizations and individuals] have trained 10,000 people to be poll disruptors to go to only Black polling sites,” Arnwine declared. “They’re not sending them to white polling sites,
and if you watched the [Jan. 6] hearings, this is a concentrated effort to disempower Black voters,” she stated. According to Davis, more than 18 million people are eligible to vote but don’t know it. “They are the felony disenfranchised,” Davis insisted. “They are confused. It’s intentionally done in various states. For example, in some states, you never lose your right to vote, and in some states, you can run for office if you’re incarcerated,” he explained. The votercade would help educate voters and explain what’s legal, among
other things. “We’re calling on all 235 NNPA members,” Dr. Chavis encouraged. “That call and response from our brothers and sisters are vital. It’s movement time, it is time Get-Out-TheVote” he declared further. “With the Transformative Justice Coalition, the NNPA will help move our people forward to get out this vote. In 2022, we will make the critical difference in the midterm elections in terms of increasing Black voter participation throughout the country.”
But last year, the Minnesota Supreme Court tossed out his murder conviction and 12 1/2-year sentence, saying the murder charge didn’t apply to
the circumstances of this case. He was resentenced to four years and nine months on the manslaughter charge. In Minnesota, it’s presumed that a defendant with good behavior will serve twothirds of a sentence in prison and the rest on supervised release, commonly known as parole. The DOC’s website says Noor will be on supervised release until Jan. 24, 2024. Damond’s father, John Ruszczyk, said Friday that the family was disappointed that Noor’s third-degree murder conviction was overturned. “His release after a trivial sentence shows great disrespect to the wishes of the jury who represented the communities of Minneapolis and their wish to make a statement about the communities’ expectations of police behaviour and actions,” Ruszczyk wrote in response to emailed questions from The Associated Press. After his conviction, Noor began serving his time at Minnesota’s maximumsecurity prison in Oak Park Heights, but the Star Tribune reported he was transferred to a facility in North Dakota in July 2019 for his own safety.
Department of Corrections spokesman Nicholas Kimball said Noor is still out of state, but did not specify where. “For safety reasons, we aren’t able to provide more detail than what is available on the public website, which is the scheduled date of release,” Kimball said. It wasn’t clear whether Noor would return to Minnesota. His attorney, Tom Plunkett, declined to comment, saying, “at this point I just want to respect Mr. Noor’s privacy.” Damond’s killing angered citizens in the U.S. and Australia, and led to the resignation of Minneapolis’ police chief. It also led the department to change its policy on body cameras; Noor and his partner didn’t have theirs activated when they were investigating Damond’s 911 call. Noor testified at his 2019 trial that he and his partner were driving slowly in an alley when a loud bang on their police SUV made him fear for their lives. He said he saw a woman appear at the partner’s driver’s side window and raise her right arm before he fired a shot from the passenger seat to stop what he thought was a threat. Damond was a meditation teacher and life coach who was killed about a month before her wedding. Her maiden name was Justine Ruszczyk, and though she was not yet married, she had already been using her fiance’s last name.
Her fiance, Don Damond, declined to comment on Noor’s pending release, but said during Noor’s resentencing that he had forgiven the former officer, and that he had no doubt Justine also would have forgiven him “for your inability in managing your emotions that night.” Noor, who is Somali American, was believed to be the first Minnesota officer convicted of murder for an onduty shooting. Activists who had long called for officers to be held accountable for the deadly use of force applauded the murder conviction but lamented that it came in a case in which the officer is Black and his victim was white. Since Noor’s conviction, former Minneapolis Officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, was convicted of murder in the May 2020 killing of George Floyd, a Black man who was pinned to the pavement under Chauvin’s knee. Chauvin’s colleague, Thomas Lane, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting manslaughter, while two other officers are awaiting trial on charges of aiding and abetting both murder and manslaughter. All four have been convicted on federal charges of violating Floyd’s rights. In another case, former Brooklyn Center Officer Kim Potter was convicted of manslaughter after she said she mistook her Taser for her handgun when she
fatally shot Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black motorist, during a traffic stop last year. John Ruszczyk said in his email to the AP that his family believes state investigators and the Minneapolis Police Department did not fully cooperate with the investigation into his daughter’s killing and he was disturbed by the agency’s culture. He said he believes the department accepts using violence as a way to control challenging situations, which he said contributed to her death. He cited a recent report from the state Department of Human Rights which found that the agency has engaged in a pattern of race discrimination for at least a decade, including using force more often on people of color. The report released Wednesday by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights following a nearly two-year investigation said the agency and the city would negotiate a court-enforceable agreement to address the long list of problems identified in the report, with input from residents, officers, city staff and others. “How could officers go out onto the streets in the roles of defenders of public safety and order with the attitude to their duties and obligations that allows them to shoot first and ask questions later?” he wrote. Days after Noor’s conviction, Minneapolis agreed to pay $20 million to Damond’s family, believed at the time to be the largest settlement stemming from police violence in Minnesota. It was surpassed last year when Minneapolis agreed to a $27 million settlement in Floyd’s death just as Chauvin was going on trial. This story has been updated to correct Noor’s sentence on the manslaughter count to four years and nine months, not 41 months.
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when cases are surging, said the institute’s Ali Mokdad, and 2021’s delta wave without vaccines would have prompted a major policy response. “We may disagree on the number as scientists, but we all agree that COVID vaccines saved lots of lives,” Mokdad said. The findings underscore both the achievements and the shortcomings of the vaccination campaign, said Adam Finn of Bristol Medical School in England, who like Mokdad was not involved in the study. “Although we did pretty well this time — we saved millions and millions of lives — we could have done better and we should do better in the future,” Finn said. Funding came from several groups including the WHO; the UK Medical Research Council; Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. AP health and science reporter Havovi Todd contributed. The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
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Insight News • July 4, 2022 - July 10, 2022 • Page 5
Red and the Egg Pie by Donna Gingery Sharing Our Stories
By: W.D. Foster-Graham Book Review Editor Red and the Egg Pie by Donna Gingery As Black children, it makes a huge difference when the images they see in books and the stories they read feature characters who look like them. Growing up with such books as Further Adventures of Dick and Jane, where nary a person of color was in sight, I know it did for me as a child. This is
little if any self-control, and quiche doesn’t set well with her. If only Granny doesn’t find out… I loved reading this book, and I thoroughly enjoyed Gingery’s hilarious rendition of it at the Minnesota Black Authors Expo. When it comes to Granny, I think of my own. She was a woman who cooked everything from scratch, which made for tantalizing scents from her kitchen. On top of that, nothing got past her. As for Red, she reminds me of myself and some of my cousins when we thought we were getting away with something, only to discover we hadn’t. Gingery was born in Selma, Alabama. Despite a high school counselor
still a problem in the traditional publishing world, so I give a hat tip to the independent authors like Donna Gingery and her children’s book, Red and the Egg Pie. Our story opens with Red, a young girl who was so red when she was born that her family called her Red. She has an older sister, Kitty, who loves reading, and she is very close to her Granny. We are taken through her morning, and we learn that she has a habit of going to neighbors’ houses to eat, despite already having a hearty breakfast. This morning, Red’s off—again—to her best friend’s house, where her BFF’s granny has made a pie and offers some to Red. Red, of course, has
telling her she’d never make it to college, she now holds a bachelor’s degree in theater, a master’s degree in educational leadership, and a K-12 administration license. She loves storytelling and has a big imagination—my kind of sistah! In addition, she is a sister, mother, grandmother, wife, and friend to many. Red and the Egg Pie can be purchased through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Strive Publishing. Also, kudos to Letizia Rizzo for the wonderful illustrations. Thank you, Donna, for a fun story, and I will always remember the way you call out “Red!” in your storytelling!
Thunder take Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren with No. 2 overall pick By Cliff Brunt AP Sports Writer OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Oklahoma City Thunder chose Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren with the No. 2 overall pick in the NBA draft on Thursday night and hit the accelerator on their rebuild by adding three of the top 12 selections. In Holmgren, the Thunder got a versatile 7-footer who was a secondteam Associated Press AllAmerican in his only college season. He averaged 14.1 points and 9.9 rebounds and ranked fourth nationally with 3.7 blocks per game for the Zags. Thunder general manager Sam Presti believes Holmgren will be a good fit. “We’re pretty comfortable with the idea of him blending in with the group that we have,” Presti said. “He was the person for Oklahoma City. He was the person for the Thunder.” He will join a young team led by Shai GilgeousAlexander, who averaged 24.5 points last season, and Josh Giddey, last year’s No. 6 overall pick who made the All-Rookie second team. “I think it’s a great situation, great dynamic playing with guys like Josh and Shai as well as everybody down the roster,” Holmgren said. “It’s a lot of great players there with unique
Walz From 3 office-holders and candidates in Minnesota and elsewhere have also seized on the abortion issue, which erupted in what was expected to be a good campaign year for Republicans due to inflation, high gas prices, crime and President Joe Biden’s sagging popularity. While many Minnesota Republicans were quick to welcome Friday’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling, Democratic U.S. Rep. Angie Craig accused her GOP challenger, Tyler Kistner, of ducking the issue. The race in their mostly suburban district south of the Twin Cities is considered a toss-up. As of
Women From 3 that remains ingrained in American culture, African American women now face a new healthcare crisis, the scope of which could be devastating. The maternal mortality rate for Black women is at least three times higher than that of white women. The cause of this disparity — widespread structural racism in the U.S. healthcare industry. Health Inequity and Structural Racism Under-prioritization of Black people in emergency rooms and hospitals is a systemic, discriminatory practice that is largely ignored, and is the primary reason for much of the disparity between Black women’s likelihood of facing life-threatening
skill sets. I feel like I can kind of pair up with them and help enhance theirs as well as have their skill sets enhance mine.” The New York Knicks traded the No. 11 pick -- 19-yearold French forward Ousmane Dieng -- to the Thunder for three future conditional firstround picks. Dieng played for the New Zealand Breakers last season and averaged 8.9 points and 3.2 rebounds. He had more immediate concerns than playing for the Thunder. “I think I need to buy a new phone because I need an American number, so I will need to buy that,” he said. The Thunder then took Santa Clara guard Jalen Williams at No. 12. The 6-foot6 guard averaged 18 points and 4.2 assists last season as a junior. He’s the first Santa Clara player picked since Steve Nash was selected 15th overall in 1996. Williams played against Holmgren twice last season in the West Coast Conference. “He’s super talented,” Williams said. “It’s kind of cool that we get to go through this experience together now instead of being enemies on the court.” Holmgren shot 61% from 3-point range and 39% from 3-point range last season — the kind of efficiency that could help a Thunder team that ranked last in the league in
field goal percentage, 3-point percentage and scoring last season. His skill could help him be effective as he works to add to his slender 195-pound frame. “He’s going to have to adjust and learn like any player,” Presti said. “I think he’s unique. I think sometimes, unique is beneficial, and I think some of the things that make him unique can be leveraged and utilized.” The Thunder’s core includes Gilgeous-Alexander, Giddey, Lu Dort, Darius Bazley and Tre Mann. Dort is one of the league’s best defensive players when healthy. Bazley is an athletic wing player and Mann was an explosive scorer off the bench. Gilgeous-Alexander, the oldest player in that group, is just short of his 24th birthday. The Thunder hope Holmgren eventually can help them regain some of the glory from the Kevin DurantRussell Westbrook era. The Thunder went to the Western Conference Finals four times with that duo and the NBA Finals once. The Thunder have not won a playoff series since Durant left and have missed the playoffs the past two seasons. They went 24-58 last season. The franchise has had success early in drafts in the past, selecting Durant No. 2 overall in 2007, Westbrook No. 4 overall in 2008 and James Harden No. 3 in 2009.
Tuesday, he had not commented about it on social media or issued a press release about it. “#CricketsKistner has still said nothing about the Supreme Court overturning Roe v Wade,” Craig tweeted Sunday. “I will always protect your privacy and freedoms — and you’ll never have to wonder where I stand when it comes to your fundamental rights.” Kistner’s campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment Tuesday. While he called himself “100% Pro-Life” on his website in 2020, there’s no mention of abortion there now. Also appearing with the governor was a visibly pregnant Tippy Amundson, of Brooklyn Park, who told reporters about the difficulty she had in securing a late-term abortion in 2016 when learned
at 20 weeks that her unborn son had stopped developing due to genetic abnormalities. Doctors warned her that she could lose her uterus because of complications with her placenta. Because she was able get an abortion at the only clinic in Minnesota that provided them that late, she said, she now has two sons, ages 5 and 2, and is due to deliver a third son in September. “Scott Jensen’s abortion ban would have left me without a uterus and without my children,” Amundson said. Jensen, a family physician from Chaska, posted a video Tuesday in which he depicted Walz as the extremist. The Supreme Court’s decision doesn’t immediately change anything and merely gives Minnesota “a chance to have that big discussion” about the
future of abortion, he said. While Jensen accused Walz of wanting to allow abortion up until birth, the governor dismissed that as an “unbelievable” argument, saying no provider performs them that late. “You know what is believable? People get raped. You know what is believable? Incest happens. You know what is believable?” Pregnancies that go dangerous,” Walz said. Trisha Ahmed, a corps member for the Associated Press/ Report for America Statehouse News Initiative, contributed to this story. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Trisha Ahmed on Twitter.
conditions due to pregnancy and childbirth compared to that of white women. Friday’s decision will serve to exacerbate that disparity, further deepening the healthcare crisis for the population group —Duke University found, a total nationwide abortion ban would increase pregnancy-related deaths for women overall by an estimated 21% — but, among Black women, by 33%. This is not due to a difference in health or wellness practices between Black women and white women; it is an illustration of the healthcare system’s racially inequitable prioritization of one group over another. Case in point: the Minnesota Population Center at the University of Minnesota has released a study showing that black newborns’ in-hospital death rate was one-third lower when black newborns were cared for by Black physicians rather than white physicians. These life-and-death inequalities
are ingrained in our healthcare systems, the same systems that are responsible for taking actions that determine whether or not a patient receives the care they require to save their life. The Biden Administration and the U.S. Department of Justice have vowed to do everything in their power to protect the right for women to travel to another state to obtain an abortion and ensured the prescription mail availability of Mifepristone, the drug that terminates early-stage pregnancies before an office visit is necessary, but several state governors, including South Dakota’s Kristi Noem, are already vowing to outlaw delivery of the drug.
Americans’ fundamental right to privacy — to protect minorities in the U.S. The Court has already begun hinting that the precedent set in overturning Roe could now be used to take away more minority rights, like that of gay marriage, and even access to contraceptives. The only way to change this policy is to use your vote. This year’s midterm elections will decide the fate of many rights, especially those specific to women and minorities, and state- and locallevel elections have never been more influential. When voting in the Minnesota primaries on August 9, 2022, and the general election November 8, 2022, it is extremely important to understand where your electors stand on the issue of abortion and vote accordingly. Source: A post from https://www.phylliswheatley. org/
A damaging and dangerous precedent Friday’s decision lays the groundwork for throwing into question dozens of laws created using the Roe methodology — rooted in
photo/John Minchillo
Chet Holmgren, center, hugs family and friends after being selected second overall in the NBA basketball draft by the Oklahoma Thunder, Thursday, June 23, 2022, in New York. The Thunder selected Arkansas’ Jaylin Williams with the 34th overall pick. The 6-10, 240-pound forward averaged 10.9 points and 9.8 rebounds per game last season. He shot 46% from the field and led the nation with 54 charges drawn. The Thunder also picked UCLA’s Peyton Watson at No. 30 overall, though he is going to the Denver Nuggets. The Thunder acquired JaMychal Green and a 2027 protected firstround pick from the Nuggets for the rights to Watson and two future second-round picks. Green has appeared in 487 career games and posted averages of 7.9 points and 5.7 rebounds on 47% shooting. AP Basketball Writer Brian Mahoney contributed to this report.
Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter: twitter. com/CliffBruntAP
More AP NBA: https:// apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) yesterday reported a presumptive case of monkeypox virus infection in an adult in the Twin Cities area. Initial testing was completed on Saturday at the MDH Public Health Laboratory and confirmatory testing is being done at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta. The patient likely was exposed while traveling abroad. The patient is receiving outpatient care. MDH is conducting contact tracing with local health partners to identify anyone who may be at risk due to direct close contact with the patient while infectious. People with direct close contact are asked to watch for symptoms of illness. The need for vaccine or antivirals is being evaluated on a case-by-case basis, in consultation with CDC officials. The CDC does not recommend broader use of the vaccine at this time; however, their evaluation of vaccine guidance is ongoing. The virus does not easily spread between people with casual contact, but transmission can occur through contact with infectious sores and body fluids; contaminated items, such as clothing or bedding; or through respiratory droplets associated with prolonged face-to-face contact. “While the threat of monkeypox generally remains low, it’s important that everyone be aware of this disease, so that those at risk can seek medical care and get tested promptly if they believe they have symptoms,” said Minnesota Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm. As of June 24, CDC reports 201 cases of monkeypox/ orthopoxvirus in 26 other U.S. states. In recent months, more than 4,100 cases have been reported in 47 countries where the disease is not typically
Bill Oxford
The virus does not easily spread between people with casual contact, but transmission can occur through contact with infectious sores and body fluids; contaminated items, such as clothing or bedding; or through respiratory droplets associated with prolonged face-to-face contact. reported. Because monkeypox requires close and prolonged contact, close-knit social networks have been particularly impacted. Close contact, sustained skin-to-skin contact, including sexual contact, with a person with monkeypox or contact with contaminated items are important risk factors. Over the last month, MDH has been working with health care providers and community partners to promote awareness of monkeypox, including what symptoms to look for, how to test for it, and ways to help prevent transmission. Symptoms of monkeypox can include fever, headache, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, and a rash that can look like pimples or blisters. In this outbreak, some individuals have had a rash only and no other symptoms, and sometimes the rash consists of only a few sores. The rash can occur in the mouth, and there may be sores in the genital and anal areas. In other cases, a rash may be on the face and on other parts of the body. The illness typically lasts two to four weeks and most people get better on their own without treatment. However,
sometimes monkeypox can cause scars from the sores, lead to pneumonia, and in rare cases even be fatal. People who have monkeypox can spread the virus from the time symptoms start until the rash has fully healed and a fresh layer of skin has formed. To prevent the spread of monkeypox: Practice good hand hygiene. For example, washing your hands with soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Minimize skin-to-skin contact with individuals who have been exposed to the virus or to those showing a rash or skin sores. Avoid contact with any materials, such as bedding, that has been in direct contact with someone with monkeypox. Reach out to a health care provider if you develop symptoms, as early recognition and testing can help prevent further transmission. More information about the virus and how to limit infection risk can be found on the Monkeypox page on the MDH website.
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Insight News • July 4, 2022 - July 10, 2022 • Page 7
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