skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

New Virginia Research Center to Connect Police, People of Color

play audio
Play

Monday, August 23, 2021   

PETERSBURG, Va. - As Virginia law enforcement agencies adjust to a number of new policing laws this year, a new state think tank represents the first policy center in the nation at a historically Black college or university to address the gap between police and communities of color.

The mission of Virginia State University's Center for Policing Leadership and Social Justice is to have police leaders across the state meet with community activists and leaders, for what many consider difficult conversations about race.

Professor of Sociology and Criminal Justice Zoe Spencer, who spearheaded the initiative, said it's important to counter misperceptions on both sides to enact change.

"If we hold stereotypical beliefs of each other that are grounded by our lack of experiences with other races, other cultures, other classes, et cetera," said Spencer, "then those typical perceptions are going to shape our interactions."

She said "The Center," as it will be called, will educate the public and students on the history of Jim Crow laws in the South and the roots of American policing in slavery.

This year, multiple new laws about policing have gone into effect in Virginia, including banning no-knock warrants, limiting chokeholds and prohibiting searches based on detecting the smell of marijuana.

The Center is an outgrowth of VSU's Policing Leadership Taskforce, established last year in the aftermath of George Floyd's death.

Spencer said the resulting protests were inspiring, but thinks more work needs to be done. She notes the ongoing court case of a VSU student - U.S. Army Lieutenant Caron Nazario - pulled over and pepper sprayed by Windsor Police officers.

"The historic divide, the racial divide, continues to exist," said Spencer. "We want to be the model that creates the programs, the practices, the culture that ameliorates the tension that ultimately leads to state-sponsored violence."

A new American Psychological Association study finds police officers speak to Black drivers in a more disrespectful tone than to white drivers during traffic stops. It also reveals body camera footage gives essential information about police stops and potential evidence of misconduct.





get more stories like this via email
more stories
A report from the Tennessee HealthCare Campaign recommended the federal government needs to strengthen 340B drug pricing and other federal negotiation mechanisms to make needed medicines more readily available and less expensive for hospitals to purchase and administer. (Spotmatikphoto/AdobeStock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …


Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…


Nearly 13 million Americans receive health coverage through unique plans under both Medicare and Medicaid. They are known as Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …

More than six in 10 Americans favor keeping the abortion pill mifepristone available in the U.S. as a prescription drug, while over a third are opposed, according to a Gallup poll. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado is working to boost the state's agricultural communities by getting more fresh, nutritious foods into school cafeterias - and a new online …

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021