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Human rights

Students Targeted With Racial Texts At Nyack School District Students Targeted With Racial Texts At Nyack School District
Students Targeted With Racial Texts At Nyack School District Officials are investigating after several Hudson Valley students were the targets of explicitly racist text messages that were also sent to Black and Brown students in several states since Election Day. The incidents occurred in Rockland County on Thursday, Nov. 7, at Nyack's middle and high schools. "While there are slight variations in the wording, these texts are horrific and explicitly racist, specifically threatening “to make students slaves, take them to plantations to pick cotton or that they will be deported to Africa,” said Nyack School District Intermin Superintende…
Ethel Kennedy, Who Went From Greenwich To Head Of Nation's Most Famous Family, Dies At 96 Ethel Kennedy, Who Went From Greenwich To Head Of Nation's Most Famous Family, Dies At 96
Ethel Kennedy, Who Went From Greenwich To Head Of Nation's Most Famous Family, Dies At 96 Ethel Kennedy, the matriarch of America's most famous political family, died Thursday, Oct. 10. She was 96.  Ethel Kennedy was wife to Robert "Bobby" Kennedy Sr., sister-in-law to President John F. Kennedy, and mother to 11 children, including former presidential nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr.  She suffered a stroke at her home last week, her grandson, former Rep. Joe Kennedy said on X, formerly Twitter.  It is with our hearts full of love that we announce the passing of our amazing grandmother, Ethel Kennedy. She died this morning from complications related to a stroke su…
Slain GW Student's Memory Lives On In Galapagos Slain GW Student's Memory Lives On In Galapagos
Slain GW Student's Memory Lives On In Galapagos The memory of a George Washington University student killed while studying abroad will live on in the Galapagos Islands. Antonella Galindo Merlo died in a car accident while studying at the University of Melbourne earlier this month, the GW Hatchet says citing university officials. Antonella's family is raising money to save the Giant Manta Rays of Ecuador, specifically through an organization dedicated to protecting the species — a cause Antonella cared about deeply. "Antonella was a brilliant soul who left us too soon," reads the campaign. "She was passionate about the conservation of th…
Protesters Block Boston U Bridge To Demand Ceasefire In Gaza Protesters Block Boston U Bridge To Demand Ceasefire In Gaza
Protesters Block Boston U Bridge To Demand Ceasefire In Gaza Dozens of protesters have taken to the Boston University bridge between Cambridge and Boston on Thursday morning, Nov. 16, to call on politicians to demand a ceasefire in Gaza. The group IfNotNow gathered on the bridge around 8 a.m., demanding that Sen. Elizabeth Warren support an immediate ceasefire. Senator Elizabeth Warren: So many of us voted for you, organized for you, even worked for you. We know that you know, in your heart, that more violence and death is not the answer. Please, we beg you: call for a ceasefire. Stop the bombs, stop the suffering, stop the war. pic.twitter.com/6…
Schumer, McConnell Call For Release Of WSJ Reporter, NJ Native Charged With Espionage Schumer, McConnell Call For Release Of WSJ Reporter, NJ Native Charged With Espionage
Schumer, McConnell Call For Release Of WSJ Reporter, NJ Native Charged With Espionage Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) can agree on one thing: they want reporter Evan Gershkovich, a Mercer County native, to be released after he was charged with espionage in Russia while reporting for the Wall Street Journal. The duo released a rare joint statement on Friday, April 7, calling for his release. Gershkovich was charged with espionage "in the interests of his country," according to Russian state media. "We strongly condemn the wrongful detention of U.S. citizen and Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, and de…
Ukrainian Academic Takes Refuge In Massachusetts Thanks To Tufts Program Ukrainian Academic Takes Refuge In Massachusetts Thanks To Tufts Program
Ukrainian Academic Takes Refuge In Massachusetts Thanks To Tufts Program The work of a lifetime does not stop because of political or humanitarian crises, at least for academics supported by Tufts University's Scholars at Risk program. Tufts has participated in the international umbrella program "Scholars at Risk" since 2011, according to the university. The program has recently expanded and is currently supporting four academics from war-torn countries, two from Afghanistan and two from Ukraine. Volodymr Dubovyk, who has a permanent position in Ukraine as an associate professor at Odesa Mechnikov National University, now holds a temporary position as a visiti…
Woman Forced To Give Birth On Jail Cell Floor While Staff 'Laughed' At Her Files Lawsuit Woman Forced To Give Birth On Jail Cell Floor While Staff 'Laughed' At Her Files Lawsuit
Woman Forced To Give Birth On Jail Cell Floor While Staff 'Laughed' At Her Files Lawsuit A pregnant woman who was arrested on a probation violation the day before she went into labor filed a federal lawsuit after nurses in a Maryland jail allegedly ignored her screams for help as she gave birth alone on a dirty jail cell floor, according to multiple reports. Jazmin Valentine was over eight months pregnant when she was taken into custody and placed in the Washington County jail. When she went into labor on July 4, 2021 she was accused of going through drug withdrawals by Pennsylvania-based PrimeCare Medical Inc., the reports continue. Valentine alleges that jail and nursing staf…
Congressman Asks Biden For Help In Case Of NY Businessman Being Held In China Congressman Asks Biden For Help In Case Of NY Businessman Being Held In China
Congressman Asks Biden For Help In Case Of NY Businessman Being Held In China New York Congressman Tom Suozzi is urging President Biden to take action in the case of a Long Island businessman who the United Nations says is being wrongfully detained in China. Rep. Suozzi, a Democrat whose district includes most of the North Shore of Long Island, sent a letter to Biden on Wednesday, July 20, asking him to personally intervene on behalf of Kai Li. The 60-year-old Chinese American, who lives in Huntington and emigrated to the US from Shanghai in 1989, was sentenced to 10-years in prison in 2018 on charges of espionage and spying for the FBI. Li was convicted following…
Biden Expected To Make Separate Stops In Connecticut This Week Biden Expected To Make Separate Stops In Connecticut This Week
Biden Expected To Make Separate Stops In Connecticut This Week President Joe Biden is set to return to Connecticut for stops in the region to promote his Build Back Better Agenda to “highlight the importance of investing in child care to keep costs down for working families." The White House announced that Biden will return to the Nutmeg State on Friday, Oct. 15 to promote his agenda, first to Hartford, and then to Storrs in Tolland County, with a pitstop at the dedication of the Dodd Center for Human Rights at the University of Connecticut. Since its opening in 1995, the UConn center has been known as The Thomas J. Dodd Research Center. In August, the…
NJ Resident Details Being Kidnapped, Tortured By Peruvian Intelligence Service In New Memoir NJ Resident Details Being Kidnapped, Tortured By Peruvian Intelligence Service In New Memoir
NJ Resident Details Being Kidnapped, Tortured By Peruvian Intelligence Service In New Memoir A New Jersey resident and former National Police lieutenant has penned a memoir detailing how he survived being kidnapped and tortured by the Peruvian National Intelligence Service. “The Unknown Basement: Based on a Real-Life Story,” details Saloman H. Soria's painful experience of being kidnapped, interrogated, tortured and imprisoned in the basement of the National Intelligence Service of Peru.  His story begins with the events that led up to his kidnapping, chronicles his false imprisonment and concludes with where he nearly 30 years later. In his role as Lieutenant of the National…
Belichick Declining Presidential Medal Of Freedom, Cites 'Tragic Events' Of Last Week Belichick Declining Presidential Medal Of Freedom, Cites 'Tragic Events' Of Last Week
Belichick Declining Presidential Medal Of Freedom, Cites 'Tragic Events' Of Last Week New England Patriots Coach Bill Belichick said that he's declining the Presidential Medal of Freedom because of the "tragic events" last week at the U.S. Capitol. "Recently, I was offered the opportunity to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which I was flattered by out of respect for what the honor represents and admiration for prior recipients," Belichick said in a statement released Monday.  "Subsequently, the tragic events of last week occurred and the decision has been made not to move forward with the award," he added. "Above all, I am an American citizen with great …
NJ Detention Center May Close: Landlord Moves To End Lease With ICE Contractor NJ Detention Center May Close: Landlord Moves To End Lease With ICE Contractor
NJ Detention Center May Close: Landlord Moves To End Lease With ICE Contractor The federal immigrant detention center in Elizabeth may be closing as the building's owner is moving to end a lease with the company that has housed ICE detainees at the site for decades. The Elberton Development group said it hopes to end its contract with Evans Street tenant CoreCivic, a company that manages private prison and detention centers, as soon as possible. The detention center and others like it have come under scrutiny in recent years from many who view the treatment of the detainees as inhumane and urged Elberton to end the agreement. "As supporters of many important educatio…
Body Of Maeve Kennedy Townsend McKean Recovered From Bay, Search Continues For Son, 8 Body Of Maeve Kennedy Townsend McKean Recovered From Bay, Search Continues For Son, 8
Body Of Maeve Kennedy Townsend McKean Recovered From Bay, Search Continues For Son, 8 Maryland police on Monday found the body of Maeve Kennedy Townsend McKean, the 40-year-old granddaughter of Robert F. Kennedy, who’d gone missing with her 8-year-old son in Chesapeake Bay late last week. McKean's body was recovered 25 feet of water about 2½ miles south of her mother’s Shady Side residence following a search involving aviation and underwater imaging sonar technology, police and dive crew members, Maryland Natural Resources Police announced late Monday. A search was continuing on Tuesday for young Gideon. The family had been self-quarantining in an empty house to give their …
Ossining Official Formally Comes Out As Gay Ossining Official Formally Comes Out As Gay
Ossining Official Formally Comes Out As Gay An Ossining official has formally come out as gay after alleging that his sexuality was being leveraged against him. Ossining Trustee Omar Herrera, who was elected three years ago, has come out, and further alleged that members of the public and other officials have made threats against him regarding his sexuality. “It has been said, in this room and throughout the community, that there are things about me that, if revealed, could derail my ability to be elected in the future,” he said. “I never thought that in 2019, I would have people in positions of power attempt to exert power and lever…
Bergen Sheriff, NAACP, Others Bringing Prominent Speakers To Anti-Hate Talk For High Schoolers Bergen Sheriff, NAACP, Others Bringing Prominent Speakers To Anti-Hate Talk For High Schoolers
Bergen Sheriff, NAACP, Others Bringing Prominent Speakers To Anti-Hate Talk For High Schoolers If you’re staging a critical conversation for high school students on the devastating impacts of hate and bigotry, you'd be hard-pressed to top the two civil rights activists enlisted by Bergen County Sheriff Anthony Cureton in tandem with the Simon Wiesenthal Center, the Bergen County NAACP and the Urban League of Bergen County. Juniors and seniors from the Englewood Public School District and the Frisch School in Paramus are invited to Cureton’s office at Two Bergen County Plaza in Hackensack at 1 p.m. this Tuesday (March 26) to hear Dwania Kyles and TM Garret. Dwania Kyles was one of th…
Rockland Interfaith Symposium Focuses On Diversity Rockland Interfaith Symposium Focuses On Diversity
Rockland Interfaith Symposium Focuses On Diversity The 2019 Rockland County Interfaith Symposium had an effective and inclusive theme of diversity. The theme of the symposium, which was held Wednesday, March 20 at the Technology Center at Rockland Community College, was “Our Strength is Our Diversity.” The symposium’s video, which was broadcast on Facebook live and remains available for viewing, opens with a celebration of diversity and religion through music. After starting the symposium with some lighthearted yet passionate songs, speakers address a number of topics surrounding humanities, economics, politics and education as they relate…
Amiel Wohl, Rabbi Emeritus, Temple Of New Rochelle, 88 Amiel Wohl, Rabbi Emeritus, Temple Of New Rochelle, 88
Amiel Wohl, Rabbi Emeritus, Temple Of New Rochelle, 88 Amiel Wohl, Rabbi Emeritus, Temple Israel of New Rochelle, and a former New Rochelle resident, died on Jan. 16, at the age of 88.  For more than 40 years, Rabbi Wohl was a pillar of the Jewish community, whose commitment and passion for bringing together diverse peoples of different faiths and backgrounds, had a far-reaching impact on the larger New Rochelle and Westchester communities. Rabbi Wohl served as Senior Rabbi of Temple Israel of New Rochelle for 27 years, from 1973 to 2000, when he retired. During that time, his efforts and reputation for racial harmony extended far beyond W…
Human Rights Center Offers Support After Swastika Found At High School In Westchester Human Rights Center Offers Support After Swastika Found At High School In Westchester
Human Rights Center Offers Support After Swastika Found At High School In Westchester The Holocaust and Human Rights Education Center has lent its support to a Westchester School District after a swastika was found etched into a bathroom door. A four-inch swastika was found at New Rochelle High School on Wednesday, Nov. 7, prompting an investigation, school officials said. A temporary fix has been put in place to make the sign less recognized until employees at the school can make a permanent fix. In response, the Holocaust and Human Rights Education Center issued a lengthy statement in support of the district and interim Schools Superintendent Magda Parvey. “In the wake of…
High School Basketball Coach Drops Out Of Assembly Race High School Basketball Coach Drops Out Of Assembly Race
High School Basketball Coach Drops Out Of Assembly Race Saunders High School basketball coach and social studies teacher Anthony Nicodemo has ended his bid for a New York state Assembly seat.          "This was not an easy decision, but one that had to be made," Nicodemo said on Twitter. "The experience was invaluable and I have no regrets." Nicodemo was seeking the 90th District Assembly seat vacated by Shelley Mayer of Yonkers after she won the state Senate seat vacated by County Executive George Latimer of Rye. Nicodemo explained, "We obtained over 600 signatures from voters in the 90th that were ruled invalid over t…
HS Basketball Coach Throws Hat In Ring For Westchester Assembly Seat HS Basketball Coach Throws Hat In Ring For Westchester Assembly Seat
HS Basketball Coach Throws Hat In Ring For Westchester Assembly Seat "When an opportunity presents itself, we need to take it," Anthony Nicodemo, Saunders High School basketball coach and social studies teacher, said in announcing his candidacy for New York state Assembly.Nicodemo, an openly gay Democrat, is seeking the 90th District seat vacated by Shelley Mayer of Yonkers, who just won the state Senate seat vacated by County Executive George Latimer. "A chance to represent and fight for my community is something I could not pass on," Nicodemo said on Twitter. Nicodemo, who's been Saunders Trades and Technical High School's head boys bas…
NY AG Sues Harvey Weinstein, Weinstein Company Over Sexual Misconduct NY AG Sues Harvey Weinstein, Weinstein Company Over Sexual Misconduct
NY AG Sues Harvey Weinstein, Weinstein Company Over Sexual Misconduct Mega Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, who has been accused of sexual assault and harassment by numerous women dating back decades, has been hit with a civil rights lawsuit by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, who announced the suit on Sunday. The suit, filed against Weinstein, the Manhattan-based Weinstein Company and Weinstein's brother, Robert, cites "egregious violations of New York’s civil rights, human rights, and business laws." The suit, filed in New York County Supreme Court, follows a four-month investigation and includes new and extensive allegations about…
Prayer Vigil Held For New Fairfield Man Facing Deportation To Guatemala Prayer Vigil Held For New Fairfield Man Facing Deportation To Guatemala
Prayer Vigil Held For New Fairfield Man Facing Deportation To Guatemala DANBURY, Conn. — Supporters of a New Fairfield man facing deportation held a prayer vigil Monday, according to WLAD.com. Joel Colindres, a married father of two small children, came to the U.S. through Texas and has filed requests for ICE to hear his asylum case for 14 years, WLAD.com reported. Ten human right groups joined his wife Samantha at the vigil for Colindres, who claims he fled religious persecution and death threats in his native Guatemala, WLAD.com reported. Click here to read the full WLAD.com story.