(2023-10-02). Gavin Newsom Taps Laphonza Butler to Fill Sen. Feinstein's Seat, Rejecting Calls to Pick Barbara Lee. democracynow.org 
California Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein, the longest-serving woman to ever serve in the Senate, has died at the age of 90. Feinstein had previously announced plans to retire at the end of this term, sparking an ongoing race to replace her open seat that's been led by California Congressmembers Barbara Lee, Katie Porter and Adam Schiff. California Governor Gavin Newsom has tapped Laphonza Butler, the president of the Democratic pro-abortion organization EMILY's List and a former leader of the California SEIU, as Feinstein's temporary replacement. Butler will become the only Black woman in…
(2023-10-02). As a Black Woman Accused of Killing a White Man, I Was Never Innocent Until Proven Guilty. truthout.org One of the hollowest principles within the criminal legal system is the presumption of innocence until court-proven guilt. I know this firsthand. When my white husband died, I — a Black woman — was accused of his murder. The mere fact of my arrest on a second-degree murder charge set off a tsunami of consequences. Being arrested equated to being punished; "innocence" was never part of the… |