Author: Grace Thompson

The Justice Department argued Monday in a court filing that two inmates who have taken the extraordinary step of asking a federal judge to revoke their death row commutations granted by President Joe Biden should be denied because the act of leniency does not violate the Constitution. Len Davis, 60, and Shannon Agofsky, 53, are detained at a federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana, where the United States government executes prisoners. Agofsky and Davis filed emergency motions seeking an injunction to block the change one week after Biden announced he was commuting the sentences of 37 of the 40 inmates on federal death row to life in prison without the possibility of parole. They claimed the change could impact their appeals in light of their initial convictions' claims of innocence. The U....

California's Altadena. According to Dennis Buzz Chatman, when he purchased his Altadena home in 2020, the 1950 property title stated that the only non-white individuals permitted in the community were servants. According to Chatman, a producer of movies and television shows, it meant a lot to be able to plant my flag there. He is currently struggling with the loss of both his home and what he claims was a safe haven for Black families due to last week's terrible fires in Los Angeles. Residents of Altadena, a multicultural community with a thriving art scene located 14 miles northeast of Los Angeles, are lamenting the extensive loss of their community, heritage, and culture as a result of the Eaton Fire. At least 11 people have died as a result of the Eaton Fire, which has also destroyed ...

California's Altadena. According to Dennis Buzz Chatman, when he purchased his Altadena home in 2020, the 1950 property title stated that the only non-white individuals permitted in the community were servants. According to Chatman, a producer of movies and television shows, it meant a lot to be able to plant my flag there. He is currently struggling with the loss of both his home and what he claims was a safe haven for Black families due to last week's terrible fires in Los Angeles. Residents of Altadena, a multicultural community with a thriving art scene located 14 miles northeast of Los Angeles, are lamenting the extensive loss of their community, heritage, and culture as a result of the Eaton Fire. At least 11 people have died as a result of the Eaton Fire, which has also destroyed ...

Washington The final report from the special counsel who accused Hunter Biden of tax and firearm offenses prior to President Joe Biden's pardon of his last surviving son was made public by the Department of Justice on Monday. Special Counsel David Weiss stated in the report that the president could not "rewrite history," implying that Biden had defamed "the public servants at the Department of Justice based solely on false accusations" by criticizing the case against his son when he announced his decision to pardon him. In the official White House statement announcing the pardon, Bid called the conviction of his sons as a miscarriage of justice. Prosecutors for Weiss later contested this claim in a court filing. "Politicians who attack the decisions of career prosecutors as politically m...

The use of hundreds of prisoners to combat the devastating wildfires in the Greater Los Angeles area has sparked new criticism of California's century-old prisoner firefighter program. As part of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Fire Camp Program, 783 inmate firefighters were working around the clock as of Thursday to assist prevent the spread of the enormous fires. There are at least a dozen states that run similar fire camps and use prisoners to put out fires. Proposition 6, a ballot effort to outlaw involuntary labor in jails and prisons, including bringing inmates to assist in fighting wildfires when there aren't enough specialists available, was rejected by California voters last year. Despite the backing of labor unions, advocacy organizations, and Democrat...

Washington The final report from the special counsel who accused Hunter Biden of tax and firearm offenses prior to President Joe Biden's pardon of his last surviving son was made public by the Department of Justice on Monday. Special Counsel David Weiss stated in the report that the president could not "rewrite history," implying that Biden had defamed "the public servants at the Department of Justice based solely on false accusations" by criticizing the case against his son when he announced his decision to pardon him. In the official White House statement announcing the pardon, Bid called the conviction of his sons as a miscarriage of justice. Prosecutors for Weiss later contested this claim in a court filing. "Politicians who attack the decisions of career prosecutors as politically m...

The use of hundreds of prisoners to combat the devastating wildfires in the Greater Los Angeles area has sparked new criticism of California's century-old prisoner firefighter program. As part of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Fire Camp Program, 783 inmate firefighters were working around the clock as of Thursday to assist prevent the spread of the enormous fires. There are at least a dozen states that run similar fire camps and use prisoners to put out fires. Proposition 6, a ballot effort to outlaw involuntary labor in jails and prisons, including bringing inmates to assist in fighting wildfires when there aren't enough specialists available, was rejected by California voters last year. Despite the backing of labor unions, advocacy organizations, and Democrat...

With a major redesign to appeal to a new generation, Chuck E. Cheese is making a comeback four years after emerging from bankruptcy. CEC Entertainment, the parent business of Chuck E. Cheese, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in June 2020, even as some jurisdictions started to lift their pandemic lockdowns. Months later, under new leadership, it came out of bankruptcy, with debts of roughly $705 million paid off. Finding ways to amuse kids and their paying parents in the era of iPads and smartphones posed an existential danger to the business even after COVID weakened. In order to address that difficulty, the corporation has invested over $300 million in recent years, and the investment is beginning to yield results. According to CEO Dave McKillips, CEC Entertainment, which also o...

With a major redesign to appeal to a new generation, Chuck E. Cheese is making a comeback four years after emerging from bankruptcy. CEC Entertainment, the parent business of Chuck E. Cheese, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in June 2020, even as some jurisdictions started to lift their pandemic lockdowns. Months later, under new leadership, it came out of bankruptcy, with debts of roughly $705 million paid off. Finding ways to amuse kids and their paying parents in the era of iPads and smartphones posed an existential danger to the business even after COVID weakened. In order to address that difficulty, the corporation has invested over $300 million in recent years, and the investment is beginning to yield results. According to CEO Dave McKillips, CEC Entertainment, which also o...

Washington The special counsel who accused Hunter Biden of tax and firearm offenses prior to President Joe Biden's pardon of his last surviving son is slated to submit his final report to the Department of Justice on Monday. The report was scheduled to be released Monday night, according to two people with knowledge of the situation, who told NBC News that while it was not anticipated to contain any significant revelations, it might criticize the president's choice to pardon his son. In the official White House statement announcing the pardon, Bid called the conviction of his sons as a miscarriage of justice. Prosecutors for Weiss later contested this claim in a court filing. Shortly before the younger Biden was scheduled to be punished in connection with his conviction for breaking a ru...