New England Sun-Times

TRAVIS GETTYS Jo hn Hinckley Jr. will be released from the psychiatric hospital where he’s lived for 35 years after attempting to kill President Ronald Reagan. A federal judge agreed Wednesday to let the 61-year-old Hinckley go live with his elderly mother in Williamsburg, Virginia, as early as next week, reported NPR. He won’t be allowed to contact his victims, their relatives or actress Jodie Foster, who the obsessed Hinckley said inspired his March 30, 1981, assassination attempt. Reagan survived the shooting but spent nearly two weeks in a hospital recovering from wounds and blood loss, and his press secretary, James Brady, spent the next 28 years in a wheelchair after he was shot in the head. A court found Hinckley not guilty by reason of insanity the following year, which upset Reagan’s family. The judge said Hinckley could live alone or in a group home after staying with his mother for a year. His brother and sister agreed to assist their 90-year-old mother in...

Kevin Rector Contact Reporter The Baltimore Sun Ch arges against the remaining three Baltimore Police Officers in the Freddie Gray case were dropped Wednesday morning. The decision was announced at the start of a pretrial motions hearing for Officer  Garrett Miller , who was the next scheduled officer to stand trial. Officer  William Porter  was to be retried in September, and Sgt.  Alicia White  was scheduled for trial in October.

by   DAVID JOHNS To ensure that all students are supported in learning and developing the skills needed to be successful in school and in life, the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans hosted a first of its kind convening to highlight unique opportunities to support post-secondary success for African American students with disabilities. The summit was held at the US Department of Education on Tuesday in honor of the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act and was live streamed  here. A child's first and most important educator is their parent, someone to provide the solid foundation upon which all future learning and development can take place. And one of the things that families and communities supporting African American youth and young adults can do is to ensure that all children are  screened  for disabilities and developmental delays to ensure that their students can thrive. Visit a pediatrician or communi...

Minneapolis, MN  — During his childhood author Lehman Riley was fascinated by his grandfather Papa Lemon. Unfortunately, Papa Lemon passed away in 1973 when Lehman was 10 years old. Lehman’s love and admiration for Papa Lemon inspired him to write  The Adventures of Papa Lemon’s Little Wanderers  children’s book series.  Papa Lemon’s Magical Train  transports 5 racially diverse friends, the Little Wanderers, back in time in order for them to meet great U.S. historical figures. Most importantly, Papa Lemon serves as a positive grandfather role model for the five friends. Lehman and his cousin, Paul Dixon, formed their publishing company Matter of Africa America Time Corp. in July 2004 and released the first  Papa Lemon  book in September 2004. Paul’s eight year experience as a Target Stores Toy Buyer (1994-2002) and eight years in Toy Sales for Disney Consumer Products (2008-2016) has provided a strong knowledge base with respect to the children’s ...

Nationwide  — Michael Jordan, whom many call the best basketball player of all time, has finally broken his silence. Many have criticized him in the past for not using his fame to be more vocal about issues that are pertinent to African Americans, especially the violence that has escalated in Chicago – the very city where he played professional basketball for years and won several NBA championships. But now he is finally speaking out! He recently released the following statement to the media expressing his opinions, and even pledging to donate more than $2 million dollars to the cause: “As a proud American, a father who lost his own dad in a senseless act of violence, and a black man, I have been deeply troubled by the deaths of African-Americans at the hands of law enforcement and angered by the cowardly and hateful targeting and killing of police officers. I grieve with the families who have lost loved ones, as I know their pain all too well.” “I was raised by pare...

Nationwide  — Entrepreneur Mala Bryan, via her company  Malaville Toys , is an independent doll maker that designs dolls for African and African American girls to play with. Her unique dolls come in several different shades of brown, each with her own backstory, including career and hobbies. Some, however, have been saying that her dolls are “too dark”. For example, after watching a segment about the dolls on YouTube, one commenter, posted a message saying, “I think that one doll is a bit too dark.” She even wrote that that particular doll was probably one of the least selling item, and suggested she get rid of it. That simple comment sparked outrage on social media. Even Mala herself was offended, and responded by posting a message on social media that said: “Sending lots of love to the beautiful dark skinned people out there, especially to those that share the same complexion as our #MaishaDoll just know that you black is beautiful.” She also revealed that th...

By  Karen Dolan  | Contributor What's worse than being pulled over nearly  50 times ? Believe it or not, quite a few things. Like racking up over $7,000 in fines and fees when you make just $30,000 a year. Or bearing the constant stress of being pulled over and fined, finally paying off one fine only to get more piled on. Even worse, there's getting your license revoked because you had a hard time paying, but still needing to drive your car to get to work to be able to pay off the steady stream of fines, late fees and court fees. This was Philando Castile's life even before that final traffic stop, when a police officer shot him dead as he calmly reached for his wallet in compliance with the officer's instructions. He'd received nearly 90 citations since 2002, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Castile paid a dear price for being a black man commuting through affluent white communities on his way to work. And it turns out that he...