May 01 1 person dead, homes devestated after tornado rips through northeastern Kansas By Associated Press One person died Tuesday when a tornado ripped through the small city of Westmoreland in northeastern Kansas, destroying houses, RVs and outbuildings, authorities said. Continue reading
May 01 Longstanding ban on LGBTQ clergy repealed at United Methodists meeting By Peter Smith, Associated Press Delegates voted 692-51 at their General Conference, removing a rule forbidding “self-avowed practicing homosexuals” from being ordained or appointed as ministers. Continue reading
May 01 Police step in to separate fighting protesters at UCLA By Stefanie Dazio, Ethan Swope, Jake Offenhartz, Joseph B. Frederick, Associated Press Hours earlier, police burst into a building at Columbia University that pro-Palestinian protesters took over and broke up a demonstration that had paralyzed the school while inspiring others. Continue reading
Apr 30 U.S. judges reject a map that would have given Louisiana a new majority-Black House district By Kevin McGill, Associated Press Tuesday's decision fuels new uncertainty about district boundaries as the state prepares for fall congressional elections. Challengers of the new map said it amounted to an unconstitutional gerrymander designed specifically with race in mind. Continue reading
Apr 30 Watch 3:57 Columbia University protest escalates with students occupying building on campus By Geoff Bennett Protests took a dramatic turn at Columbia University overnight when some pro-Palestinian students occupied a building on campus. In California, police arrested 25 protesters at California State Polytechnic University who had taken over a building for about a week and… Continue watching
Apr 30 Watch 6:24 State health care plans must cover transgender-related care, federal court rules By Stephanie Sy, Ian Couzens, Saher Khan A groundbreaking ruling by a federal appeals court ensures gender-affirming surgery is covered by state-run health insurance programs. The decision ordered the plans to “reinstate coverage for medically necessary services for the treatment of gender dysphoria.” It’s a win for… Continue watching
Apr 30 A look at the protests of the war in Gaza that have emerged at U.S. colleges By Associated Press The students are calling for universities to separate themselves from companies advancing Israel’s military efforts in Gaza and in some cases from Israel itself. Police have arrested hundreds nationwide since detainments at Columbia on April 18. Continue reading
Apr 30 Watch 9:42 Student journalists discuss covering the campus protests against Israel’s war in Gaza By Amna Nawaz, Karina Cuevas, Ethan Dodd, Leila Jackson Student protests over Israel’s war in Gaza and U.S. involvement continue across campuses nationwide. Even as the school year comes to an end, administrators are struggling with how to respond. Amna Nawaz discussed more with Spencer Friedland of the Emory… Continue watching
Apr 30 Watch 6:22 Why many universities are rejecting protester calls for divestment from Israel By Geoff Bennett, Courtney Norris A key issue at these college protests against the war in Gaza is the demand for schools to divest from Israel. Monday, we heard a perspective arguing how universities can do that more readily. Now, Geoff Bennett has a different… Continue watching
Apr 30 United Methodists begin historic reversal on longstanding anti-LGBTQ policies By Peter Smith, Associated Press The delegates voted to delete mandatory penalties for clergy conducting same-sex marriages. They also removed their denomination's bans on considering LGBTQ candidates for ministry and on funding for gay-friendly ministries. Continue reading