Author: Savannah Born

Savannah Born was a digital intern at Black News Alerts/UNMUTEDCO.

Despite a resurge in Taliban dominance, the US is withdrawing from its longest ongoing war. President Biden defends his decision to remove all troops from Afghanistan by August 31. What We Know: In April, President Joe Biden pledged to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan. Since the September 11, 2001 attacks, US troops have remained on bases in Afghanistan. Last week, US troops suddenly departed from the Bagram Airbase, where more than 100,000 US troops have passed through. Coordination for departure was done at higher levels of government, so the Afghan base commander did not receive a primary briefing. Following their…

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After nearly two weeks since the June 24 collapse of a Miami condominium, officials declared an end to survivor rescue efforts. What We Know: A few days after the northeast corridor collapse, more than 150 people remained unaccounted for. As of Wednesday evening, the death toll rose from 10 to 54. Of the 54 dead, 33 were identified. 86 people are still unaccounted for. The death toll as of Friday has now risen to 78. The past two weeks consisted of rescuers using sonar equipment, cranes, cameras, and dogs to search for living people. Since the initial collapse, however, none of the…

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The Trump Organization and CFO Allen Weisselberg were charged with 15 counts for alleged fraud and tax evasion. What We Know: Lawyers for the Trump Organization and its top executives pleaded not guilty to a 15-count indictment alleging the company secretly redirected money to executives to avoid taxes on $1.7 million of income. Beginning in 2005, the money was untaxed indirect employee compensation. Prosecutors claim the Trump Organization failed to report the payments for tax purposes. CFO Weisselberg and two corporate entities were declared co-defendants in the indictment. Some charges include tax fraud, false statements, false filings, false tax instruments, and…

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On June 25, the first bullet train line entered China’s transportation line. What We Know: The capital of Tibet, Lhasa, now connects to the city of Nyingchi by bullet rail. It crosses over 31 regions of mainland China, giving residents access to the train. Six years of construction created the railway stretching 435 kilometers and containing 47 tunnels and 131 bridges. The construction of a single railway from Sichuan to Tibet is divided into three segments. Segment one is the Chengdu-Ya’an Railway, completed in 2018 and fully operational. The second segment is the Lhasa-Nyingchi Railway, which opened this month for use…

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A day following the sentencing of police officer Derek Chauvin, both Democratic and Republican lawmakers agree to implement a public safety bill. What We Know: Last week, a Minnesota judge sentenced police officer Derek Chauvin to 22 1/2 years in prison for killing George Floyd. 22 1/2 years is above the state of Minnesota’s minimum requirement for the specific crime committed but below the prosecutor’s 30 year proposition. After months of negotiation, lawmakers reached a compromise. The State House opted to include policing provisions in its public safety budget bill. At 233 pages, the bill strives to create police accountability…

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Early Thursday morning, a twelve-story condo building partially collapsed in Miami Beach. What We Know: Miami-Dade County firefighters were called to the Surfside condo Champlain Towers South just after 1:30 a.m. The condo contained 136 units at 70 percent capacity, 55 of which collapsed. As of June 28, the northeast corridor collapse left more than 150 people unaccounted for and 10 dead. On the day of the collapse, rescuers pulled 35 people out from underneath the rubble. Rescuers used sonar equipment, cranes, cameras, and dogs to search for signs of buried people. However, the disastrous formation of debris left few pockets…

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Former President Trump’s program deporting asylum seekers that blunder on court hearings is lifted, allowing migrants to attend court proceedings domestically. What We Know: In 2019, the US Department of Homeland Security created the Migrant Protection Protocols, also called the “Remain in Mexico” program. The program sends certain asylum seekers back to Mexico to await their case processing in the US court. 70,000 non-Mexican migrants were obligated to wait outside the US for court hearings. So far, the Biden Administration has permitted 11,000 asylum seekers to proceed with entry. Those permitted entry must meet criteria set by humanitarian groups selected…

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A string of mass shootings leads President Biden to crack down on illegal gun sales, labeling sellers “merchants of death”. What We Know: The Ninth US Circuit Court of Appeals blocked California Judge Roger T. Benitez’s June 4 decision to overturn Assault Weapon Ban. Benitez considered California’s 32-year-old Assault Weapon Ban unconstitutional. He concluded that supposed assault weapons are not “extraordinary weapons lying at the outer limits of Second Amendment protection…instead, the firearms deemed ‘assault weapons’ are fairly ordinary, popular, modern rifles.” President Biden announced hope of reinstating the Assault Weapon Ban. Given recent spikes in gun violence, the White House addressed…

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Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Marcia Fudge characterized student loan debt as a limitation for people of color in purchasing homes. What We Know: The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) announced steps to improve affordable housing access, specifically FHA-insured mortgage financing, to people with student loan debt. Under the new policy, FHA student loan debt calculations align similarly with other housing agencies. Hence, the process for creditworthy individuals with student loan debt to borrow is simplified. According to HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge, people of color face disproportionately prominent barriers when obtaining affordable housing. Fudge considers homeownership a cornerstone of the…

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Deteriorating health status puts the Great Barrier Reef’s UNESCO World Heritage Site status in jeopardy. Despite this, Australia rejects recommendations by the United Nations to consider the Reef coral “in danger”. What We Know: The Great Barrier Reef received World Heritage status in 1981, an honor designating it invaluable to humanity for its cultural, historical, and scientific contributions. There are 1007 other places across the globe deemed worthy of this status, including the Grand Canyon, Egyptian pyramids, and Greece’s Acropolis. The reef is home to 1,625 species of fish, more than 600 species of coral, 133 shark and ray species,…

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