Teachers Union Files Lawsuit Against NYC And Mayor Adams Over School Budget Cuts
The United Federation of Teachers has taken legal action against NYC and Mayor Eric Adams to prevent the proposed cuts from the city's school budget.
The United Federation of Teachers has taken legal action against New York City and Mayor Eric Adams to prevent the proposed $2 billion cuts from the city’s school budget. The lawsuit follows the Adams administration’s announcement earlier this year of nearly $550 million in cuts for the current fiscal year, with additional plans for cuts that could reach $2 billion, per a UFT press release on Dec. 21.
The lawsuit represents the second significant challenge to Mayor Adams regarding budget cuts, with DC 37, the city’s largest public sector teachers union, filing a similar lawsuit earlier this month. UFT President Michael Mulgrew criticized the administration, saying, “The administration can’t go around touting the tourism recovery and the return of the city’s pre-pandemic jobs and then create a fiscal crisis and cut education because of its mismanagement of the asylum seeker problem.”
In response to the lawsuits, Mayor Adams acknowledged the union’s duty to represent their members and noted that disputes among friends sometimes lead to legal action. He mentioned his planned call with Henry Garrido, president of DC 37, emphasizing their professional relationship.
The UFT’s lawsuit contends that the city is legally barred from reducing school funding unless overall city revenues experience a decline. According to the press release, New York City’s revenues increased by $5 billion last year. Additionally, the lawsuit argues that the proposed cuts violate students’ state constitutional right to a “sound basic education.”
The legal challenge comes when education funding and quality education have become focal points in the ongoing discussions surrounding the city’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The UFT’s action addresses concerns about the potential adverse effects of budget cuts on the city’s education system.
Chick-Fil-A May Be Forced To Open Sundays In New York City
A proposed law in New York has ignited a debate over Chick-fil-A's longstanding policy of closing on Sundays.
A proposed law in New York, known as the Rest Stop Restaurant Act, has ignited a debate over Chick-fil-A’s longstanding policy of closing on Sundays. The bill, proposed on Dec. 13, would mandate that all contracted food and beverage establishments along the New York State Thruway and Port Authority remain open seven days a week, potentially impacting Chick-fil-A locations managed by Irish convenience store chain Applegreen.
Applegreen, which took over leases of service areas from the Thruway Authority in 2021, currently operates seven Chick-fil-A outlets along its route, among other restaurants like Burger King, Starbucks, and Subway.
The bill argues that service areas dedicated to travelers should maximize public benefit, and having a restaurant remain closed for one-seventh of the week is deemed a disservice and inconvenience to travelers relying on these locations. The proposed legislation, if passed, would go into effect 30 days after approval.
“While there is nothing objectionable about a fast-food restaurant closing on a particular day of the week, service areas dedicated to travelers is an inappropriate location for such a restaurant,” the bill states.
Chick-fil-A, known for its unique franchise model where operators manage locations without owning them, has adhered to the tradition of closing on Sundays since its founder, Truett Cathy, decided in 1946. The practice is rooted in the founder’s desire to provide employees a dedicated day for rest, family time, or worship.
The proposed law raises questions about the clash between a corporation’s longstanding cultural practice and potential legislative requirements. Chick-fil-A’s distinct franchise structure, where operators act as managers, not owners, adds complexity to the situation.
As the bill awaits consideration in the New York State Assembly, the potential impact on Chick-fil-A’s operations sparked discussions about the intersection of corporate tradition, public policy, and the evolving landscape of food services along major travel routes. With more than 3,000 Chick-fil-A locations across 48 states, Puerto Rico, and Canada, the outcome of this legislative proposal could have broader implications for how businesses with unique operating practices navigate regulatory challenges.
Michigan Inmates To Vote Upon Prison Release In 2025
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed a bill ushering in a new era of expanded voting rights for former prisoners.
Votebeat reports Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has signed House Bill 4983, on Nov. 30, which will usher in a new era of expanded voting rights for the state’s former inmates.
Effective June 2025, the first of its kind law will automatically register those completing sentences for felony convictions as they prepare to leave prison.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has signed into law a bill that AUTOMATICALLY registers people to vote after prison release. The new law, effective in June 2025, is aimed at improving voting access for the historically disenfranchised population. https://t.co/1xcQiP0dFi
The bill extends Michigan’s automatic voter registration system, currently applicable when individuals obtain a driver’s license, to other state agencies such as the Department of Corrections and the Department of Health and Human Services. Under the new law, inmates leaving prison will be issued a state identification or driver’s license from Michigan, automatically registering them to vote unless they opt-out.
“Being engaged members of their communities, including voting, is an important element of reentry for all returning citizens,” Michigan Department of Corrections spokesman Kyle Kaminski said.
Previously, incarcerated individuals could submit their personal information to the Department of State, which would then finalize their voter registration upon release. The new law streamlines the process, with the Department of State automatically processing voter registration.
State Rep. Penelope Tsernoglou, the bill’s author, underscored the positive impact on those leaving prison, emphasizing the significance of being registered and encouraged to vote. The legislation received support from Democrats, passing in the House on a party-line vote and securing Senate approval.
The new law complements other efforts to increase voting rights access, including a larger package of 23 election and democracy bills signed by Whitmer. Detroit Pastor Terrence Devezin and former inmate and community worker Vince King lauded the law, recognizing its role in helping individuals reintegrate into society by providing identification and voting rights.
King highlighted the profound impact on political participation, allowing returning citizens to support candidates addressing crucial issues affecting their lives. The legislation removes barriers to civic engagement and fosters a sense of normalcy and belonging within communities.
“Today, we are expanding voting rights and strengthening our democracy,” Whitmer said.
Judge Rules Whole Foods’ Black Lives Matter Apparel Ban Lawful
Whole Food employees across the country were often seen wearing buttons, pins, and predominantly face masks with BLM messaging.
A National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) judge ruled that grocery conglomerate Whole Foods had every right to ban employees from wearing Black Lives Matter apparel.
At the height of the BLM movement in May 2020, Whole Foods employees across the country were often seen wearing buttons, pins, and face masks with BLM messaging. The store informed team members that they were violating the dress code and would have two options–clock out and go home or remove the items and continue their shift. Members who chose to go home in stores located in Bedford, New Hampshire, Maryland, Indiana, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Virginia, Georgia, Washington, and more–received numerous violation “points” against them, causing some employees to be “discharged,” defined by Whole Foods as resignations.
Subjected team members filed a complaint with NLRB arguing that a ban on racial justice verbiage violated their protected right to advocate for a better workplace together, according to HuffPost. On Dec. 20, Administrative Law Judge Ariel Sotolongo wasn’t buying it, ruling their solidarity had nothing to do with a goal related to their working conditions at the store.
“In many instances, employees started donning BLM messaging by wearing masks, pins, or jewelry, after learning that employees in other stores were doing so — and in response to learning that employees were being told by the store that they could not do so,” Sotolongo wrote in the ruling.
The judge pointed out that the case wasn’t about dress code or employee actions but if the conduct was protected under Section 7 of the National Labor Relations, which “protects the rights of employees to wear and distribute items such as buttons, pins, stickers, t-shirts, flyers, or other items displaying a message relating to terms and conditions of employment, unionization, and other protected matters.”
Some employees labeled Whole Foods’ rule as racist or insensitive toward African Americans. However, Sotolongo made it clear that wasn’t the case. “The fact that BLM may be a movement of great significance to African Americans, and that its goals are valid, does not mean that a rule prohibiting the displaying of such message at work is ‘racist,’ as some employees implied,” the ruling declared. “The evidence persuades me that the employer was merely trying to avoid controversy and conflict at its stores, which it believed BLM messaging would invite.”
Representing the Whole Foods Workers, attorney Shannon Liss-Riordan said in a statement that she is disappointed but has other plans in place. “We are disappointed in this decision. Unfortunately, the ALJ did not take note of the charging parties’ argument that the workers were protesting Whole Foods’ negative response to their concerted activity,” she said.
There was a bright side for the employees as Sotolongo ruled that the store’s ban against messaging on clothing went too far–saying it would limit workers from wearing union pins and other paraphernalia tied to work. General counsel could appeal the ruling to the Washington, D.C. board, who could decide that wearing Black Lives Matter messaging is protected under the law.
3 Officers Involved In The Killing Of Manuel Ellis Have Been Acquitted Of All Charges
The three Washington State officers involved in the death of Manuel Ellis in 2020 have been cleared of all charges by a jury.
A jury has acquitted three Washington State police officers in the 2020 death of Manuel Ellis.
Matthew Collins, 40, Christopher Burbank, 38, and Timothy Rankine, 34, were cleared of all charges on Dec. 21, which included second-degree murder and manslaughter.
The decision shocked the court assembly and Ellis’ family, whose lawyer, Matthew Erickson, reacted to the verdict in an email. “The biggest reason why I personally think this jury found reasonable doubt is because the defense was essentially allowed to put Manny Ellis on trial,” he wrote.
“The defense attorneys were allowed to dredge up Manny’s past and repeat to the jury again and again Manny’s prior arrests in 2015 and 2019. That unfairly prejudiced jurors against Manny.”
The Ellis family immediately exited the courtroom after the decision was announced, and approximately 30 people gathered in protest at the Manuel Ellis mural in Tacoma later that evening, the outlet reports. The jury’s decision has sparked backlash across social media as well. “Manuel Ellis deserves so much better,” said one user. Another user referred to it as “straight-up murder” with no justice.
Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson also released a statement via X, formerly known as Twitter, commending his office’s prosecution team.
“I want to start by thanking the jury and court staff for their service,” he said. “I also want to thank the members of my legal team for their extraordinary hard work and dedication. I know the Ellis family is hurting, and my heart goes out to them,” he added.
In March 2020, Ellis was headed home from purchasing doughnuts when Collins and Burbank approached him after passing their police patrol car at a red light. After a brief exchange, the two officers hauled Ellis from his vehicle and “tackled and punched” him as well as tased him, according to HuffPost.
He was also held in a neck restraint. Several officers, including Rankine, arrived at the site when Ellis had already been handcuffed and was lying face-down. Rankine then proceeded to kneel on the young man’s back while he stated that he could not breathe. Ellis died on the scene.
Lawyers for the officers argued that Ellis died as a result of methamphetamine and a heart irregularity. However, the Pierce County medical examiner officially determined Ellis’ cause of death as homicide caused by oxygen deprivation.
University Of Rochester Awarded $3M Mellon Foundation Grant
The University of Rochester has been awarded a $3 million grant from the Mellon Foundation.
The Mellon Foundation has granted $3 million to the University of Rochester as part of the school’s initiative to support more tenure-track Black faculty members in its Department of Black Studies, according to the university’s website.
“I feel very strongly that a university must strive to be great and must strive to be good,” said Provost David Figlio in a press release. “The Mellon grant ensures that the Department of Black Studies will be an extraordinary example of that philosophy, especially as we grow the department in alignment with the core beliefs that inform the University’s new Boundless Possibility strategic plan.”
The award is from the Mellon Foundation’s Higher Learning program.
In Nov. 2022, the university established the Department of Black Studies in Arts, Sciences & Engineering. With its inauguration, the department will now have fully committed faculty as part of its program, whereas, previously, they were incorporated from other sectors.
“We’re building a department that houses scholars who don’t conventionally fit within traditional disciplinary modes,” said Jeffrey McCune Jr., the Frederick Douglass Professor. “Our scholars are working at the edges of the humanities and social sciences—often using literature and performance—to understand the phenomena within their fields.”
McCune has campaigned for Black studies since he arrived at the university in Sept. 2021. He is currently chair of the Faculty Programs and Departmental Initiatives at the university.
Since its implementation, the Department of Black Studies has appointed two full-time assistant professors: Jordan Ealey, Ph.D, and Phillip V. McHarris. Ealey’s scholarly work primarily centers on feminist theater and aesthetics; McHarris has explored the constructs of race, housing, policing, and social inequality. The Department aims to have 10 to 12 faculty members by the 2025–26 academic year.
“It’s about the department being a resource for advancing the lives and conditions of Black people,” said McCune.
Coco Jones Thinks Entertainment Industry Is Doing ‘Better’ By Dark-Skinned Black Women
Jones is a younger face leading the way for Hollywood to be more inclusive, especially for women of a darker hue.
Coco Jones has seen the highs and lows of Hollywood, yet the Grammy-nominated songstress thinks things are moving in the right direction for dark-skinned Black women.
The actress spoke withPeople about her skyrocketing career, having her breakthrough EP “What I Didn’t Tell You,” featuring the hit song “ICU,” garner multiple Grammy nominations. Of her sharp rise to music prominence, the Bel-Air actress detailed her gratitude for fans’ positive response.
“When I made ‘ICU,’ I didn’t know if it would work in this time, in this generation. I didn’t know if it was too slow or too soulful. I didn’t know how the world would respond. I was just creatively experimenting,” explained Jones. “But I’m really grateful when I perform ‘ICU’ because the audience is screaming the lyrics at the top of their lungs. The last time that I had that type of reaction was when I was 14 or 15, and I was doing Disney Channel stuff.”
Jones has been trying to find her footing in Hollywood since her Disney days, starring in the Disney Channel Film Let It Shine in 2012, having found it hard to solidify her career. However, since lightning struck when her soulful hit made the radio waves, Jones believes that the entertainment industry is more open to diverse representation than before.
“I definitely feel like the industry for dark-skinned Black women has gotten better and better, especially since I was a young girl,” says Jones. “And I think the more storylines and the more positions of power that are told from a woman of color’s perspective, the more opportunities [there are] for women to play those roles and to hire women that would understand those storylines.”
Jones is a younger face leading the way for Hollywood to be more inclusive, especially for women of a darker hue. With five nominations at this upcoming Grammy Awards, Jones is part of a cohort of Black women with the most nods, following Sza and Victoria Monet for their projects.
Illinois Mayor Faces Backlash Over Controversial Salary Tactic
But if she loses her campaign, the normally six-figure salary drops to just $25,000.
Tiffany Henyard, the mayor of Dolton, Illinois, is being called out by local lawmakers for proposing a salary cut—which passed—so people won’t run against her.
The move cuts close to 90% of her salary—as long as she isn’t still in the position. Henyard, who also serves as the Thornton Township Supervisor, still receives her $224,000 salary for that post. But if she loses her campaign, the new mayor’s salary would drop to just $25,000 a year.
Thornton Township Trustee Chris Gonzalez, who voted against it, said this plan is nothing more than a political scare tactic. The seven-page ordinance was passed out during a meeting in early December 2023. With limited time to review, members were required to give an immediate vote.
“It discourages people from running is the first thing that comes to mind,” he said. Other local leaders are even questioning if its legal or not.
Under the concept of equal protection of the law, salaries of elected officials must be identity-blind, meaning they can’t change based on who holds the position.
“It may be the worst attempt to try to dissuade people from running that I’ve ever seen,” said municipal attorney Burt Odelson said. “And that’s a long time.” The legislation will also lower the salaries of other election positions depending on if someone new fills in.
Chicago-based media outlets launched an investigation into some of the questionable spending the mayor and other village officials made during their tenure. Credit card statements show officials spent more than $24,000 at restaurants in a 12-month span. Other charges like Hulu streaming services and hotel stays at establishments found less than 20 miles away from Dolton raised eyebrows.
“We still have areas that need trees cut, streets paved, alleys paved and sidewalks fixed,” Dolton Trustee Tammie Brown said. “It’s a lot that’s going on.”
Henyard has been supervisor since 2022 after former supervisor, Frank Zuccarelli, died. She is described as “charismatic,” bringing fun changes to meetings like having a DJ playing to help her make a point. But controversy has overshadowed the changes.
Baltimore Shows Support for Angel Reese During LSU’s Game at Coppin State
"Baltimore has meant everything to me,” says Angel Reese.
New Orleans and the sports world have embraced her, but Angel Reese had to remind y’all that B’More is home for her. “I’m the Baltimore Barbie before the Bayou Barbie,” said Reese.
According to The Washington Post, Reese was not only widely accepted (and anticipated) in a game back in her hometown of Baltimore, but it was a homecoming of sorts for the LSU Tigers center, who has captured the hearts of many sports fans with her spirited play. She was back home for a basketball game against her hometown HBCU, Coppin State, which LSU won in a blowout 80-48 victory. Although it was a home game for the Maryland team, the gym was packed due to Reese coming to play. There were, no doubt, more Reese fans in the stands than there were Coppin State supporters.
Tonight’s game at Coppin State is the hot ticket in town as the defending champs, LSU women, come to town led by star Angel Reese in a return to her home city, Baltimore, Md. pic.twitter.com/i5GhZBorai
The game was part of basketball coach Kim Mulkey’s effort to play games in the home cities of her players.
The sold-out game was even attended by Baltimore political figures: Mayor Brandon Scott and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore were both seen at the game.
“We’re a basketball town,” Scott said. “To have one of our hoopers who has gone on to do tremendous things come back, but come back to Coppin State, an HBCU that has meant so much to Baltimore, that has so much deep basketball history itself, means the world. We’re going to show up for our own. And both Angel and Coppin are our own.”
Reese did not disappoint as she scored 26 points, retrieved six rebounds, obtained five steals, two assists, and a block.
“Walking in here felt completely different than the first time coming in here,” she said. “In high school, I never played here. My sophomore year, I remember the first time I came here and there weren’t that many fans here. But then coming in tonight, just being able to see my impact and being able to see how much has changed and understanding my impact in this world. Baltimore has meant everything to me.”
Although the Tigers started the season with a loss, they have been undefeated since, winning their 12th straight game against Coppin State.
The group also questions if the justice properly reported who funded her investiture ceremony at the Library of Congress.
The complaint urges quick action and states that “the Conference’s prompt attention is of paramount public importance” to “ensure the equal application of the law.” It requests that the Supreme Court refer Jackson to Attorney General Merrick Garland to further investigate the specifics of her husband’s income from medical consulting.
The Center for Renewing America was founded in 2021 by Russ Vought, an ex-official in the Trump administration who served as the director of the Office of Management and Budget.
The complaint from the conservative organization comes after House Democrats petitioned for Justice Clarence Thomas to recuse himself from a case he was serving on to determine if former President Trump would face charges for attempting to overturn the 2020 election. The Democratic representatives involved in the petition included Hank Johnson, Jamie Raskin, Sheila Jackson Lee, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, from Georgia, Maryland, Texas, and New York, respectively.
The letter about Thomas stated, “[W]e strongly implore you to exercise your discretion and recuse yourself from this and any other decisions in the case of United States v. Trump.”
The Democrats argued that Thomas’s wife, Ginni Thomas, backed Trump’s false 2020 election claims which served as grounds to remove him from the case. Her answers during an interview which questioned the Jan. 6 attack led Democrats to take action after they echoed the same allegations as Trump.
