Category Archives: History

ORLANDO, Fla. Reaction was swift Tuesday as former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty in the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died last summer with Chauvins knee pinned to his neck.

The jury deliberated for about 10 hours before they found Chauvin guilty of all three counts: second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

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Chauvin, who was wearing a mask, did not appear to react when the verdict was read and his bail was revoked.

A sentencing hearing will be held in eight weeks.

Across Central Florida, law enforcements leaders said they are prepared for any protests or demonstrations like the ones the region saw last year in the wake of Floyds death, calling for racial justice.

The Seminole County Sheriffs Office and the Orange County Sheriffs Office said theyre both monitoring the situation locally.

I am committed to protecting the rights of all people to peacefully assemble or protest. That is a cornerstone of every Americans First Amendment right to free speech. But we cannot tolerate the destruction of property or violence against members of our community or law enforcement, Orange County Sheriff John Mina said Monday. We are not aware of any planned protests in Orange County Sheriffs Office jurisdiction at this time. We are adequately prepared and staffed to ensure that everyone is safe and their right to free speech is protected.

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In Minneapolis outside Cup Foods, the store where Floyd was killed, members of the community gathered before the verdict was read and in the days leading up to the jurys decision.

The courthouse where the trial took place is ringed with concrete barriers and razor wire, and thousands of National Guard troops and law enforcement officers were brought in ahead of the verdict. Some businesses were boarded up with plywood, the Associated Press reports.

Below are reactions and updates from across the country in the aftermath of the verdict.

10:00 p.m. Orlando Police Chief Orlando Rolon and Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma issue statement on Chauvin verdict

Todays guilty verdict of Derek Chauvin shows that he is being held accountable for his criminal actions. His actions were against the fundamental ethics, code of conduct, and the oath we take to both serve and protect. As a profession, it is important that we continue to advance and modernize how we police, and that we must continue to create real, meaningful relationships throughout our communities, Sheriff Lemma said.

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Of course, I think for some members of the profession it hurts that they saw an individual who was meant to represent this honorable profession in the way that he did that ultimately rose to a level of a trial, Orlando Police Chief Orlando Rolon said.

Chief Rolon said he believes in the countrys judicial process, and said he believes we should accept the outcomes of that process.

We can show them that their concerns are not something that they should be worried about, that we have great men and women at the Orlando Police Department and the law enforcement community here in Central Florida are committed to serving and protecting people and treating them with dignity and respect, he said.

8:56 p.m. - Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd reacts to Chauvin verdict

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd issued a statement on the Chauvin verdict.

As I said at the time the video and facts came to light, had Mr. Chauvin done in Polk County what he did in Minneapolis, he would have been fired and arrested that night. Chauvin has had his day in court and he has been found guilty. That is our justice system at work. Its not alright to violate the law. The jury has spoken. Chauvin is being held accountable, Sheriff Grady Judd said.

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7:50 p.m. - DOJ is limited in police probes

Calls have grown for federal investigations into police killings across the nation since President Joe Biden took office and said he believes racial disparities in policing must change.

But the U.S. Justice Department is still bound by the same laws that present a high bar for bringing federal charges. And that may leave victims families disappointed.

Still, the department is shifting its priorities to focus more on civil rights issues, criminal justice overhauls and policing policies. Attorney General Merrick Garland has declared there isnt yet equal justice under the law.

7:40 p.m. - Attorney general says investigation is ongoing

The jury in the state trial of Derek Chauvin has fulfilled its civic duty and rendered a verdict convicting him on all counts. While the states prosecution was successful, I know that nothing can fill the void that the loved ones of George Floyd have felt since his death. The Justice Department has previously announced a federal civil rights investigation into the death of George Floyd. This investigation is ongoing, U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in a statement.

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7:15 p.m. - President Biden addresses the nation

President Joe Biden said George Floyds death was a murder in the full light of day and it ripped the blinders off for all the world to see the problems with race and policing in the U.S.

Biden, speaking after former police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty Tuesday of murder in Floyds death last May, said the verdict can be a giant step forward for the country against systemic racism.

Biden is lauding the officers who testified in the trial instead of closing ranks and keeping quiet. He said the verdict sends a strong message, but reform cant stop with just the verdict.

He said it is so important to ensure Black and brown people dont fear interaction with law enforcement.

7:10 p.m. - Vice President Kamala Harris speaks

Vice President Kamala Harris said the nation still must work to reform the criminal justice system after a jury found former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin guilty of murder and manslaughter in the death of George Floyd.

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A measure of justice isnt the same as equal justice, Harris said.

Harris spoke ahead of President Joe Biden. They both addressed the nation from the White House Tuesday hours after a jury returned the verdict against Chauvin for the killing of Floyd, whose death caught on camera touched off a reckoning on policing in America.

Before addressing the nation, Biden and Harris spoke by phone with members of the Floyd family. The president told the family that he and Harris were so relieved by the verdict, according to a video of the call posted on Twitter by Floyd family attorney Ben Crump.

6:55 p.m. - President Bidens call to Floyds family released

Before the verdict was announced in Minneapolis, President Joe Biden said he was praying the verdict is the right verdict in the trial of former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin.

Later he told the family of George Floyd in a phone call, Were all so relieved.

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Biden told reporters at the White House on Tuesday that he was only weighing in on the trial into the death of George Floyd because the jury in the case had been sequestered. He said he had called Floyds family on Monday.

Biden had repeatedly denounced Floyds death but had previously stopped short of weighing in on the trial itself.

6:53 p.m. - Explainer on the verdict

The 12 jurors who convicted Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd had three counts to consider and returned guilty verdicts on all three. Chauvin was charged with second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in Floyds May 25 death.

The case came down to two key questions: Did Chauvin cause Floyds death and were his actions reasonable? Each charge required a different element of proof as to Chauvins state of mind. The jury reached the verdict on Tuesday.

6:35 p.m. - Justice for George means freedom for all

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Philonise Floyd said hell continue fighting for others like his brother.

Today you have the cameras all around the world to see and show what happened to my brother. It was a motion picture, the world seen his life being extinguished and I could do nothing but watch especially in that courtroom over and over and over again as my brother was murdered, he said.

He brought up the case of Duante Wright, another Black man killed by an officer.

He should still be here. We have to always understand that we have to march, we will have to do this for life. We have to protest because it seems like this is a never ending cycle, Philonise Floyd said.

Justice for George means freedom for all, he concluded.

6:25 p.m. - FAMU looks forward to workable solutions

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At Florida A&M University we reaffirm our commitment to fairness, equity and justice. We are dedicated to educating and graduating students, like student leaders of the Tallahassee civil rights movement, Wilhelmina Jakes, Carrie Patterson and Patricia Stephens, who are willing to work tirelessly for a society in which African Americans and persons of color can espouse hope rather than harbor fear for their sons and daughters. The verdict today is not the end but could mark a new beginning as we endeavor to live in accordance with the ideals we have been taught and long prayed for but have not yet experienced.

For more than 133 years, FAMU has been a beacon of light for those who seek to improve themselves and their communities. We stand ready to work with any willing partners to provide practical and workable solutions so we can bring everyone into the light of the American dream and out of the shadows that stifle us all, FAMU president Dr. Larry Robinson said.

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6:05 p.m. - George Floyds family reacts to verdict

George Floyds family members, attorney Benjamin Crump and Rev. Al Sharpton expressed their relief at the verdict during a news conference.

Were going to try to leave here today knowing that America is a better country, Crump said. America, lets pause for a moment to proclaim this historical moment, not just for the legacy of George Floyd but for the legacy of America.

6:05 p.m. - Volusia sheriff says justice and accountability prevailed

6 p.m. - History has been made today and I am glad to see it

J. Henry of J. Henrys Barbershop in Orlando said there are many great police officers out there, including his wife of 19 years, but what Chauvin did was unacceptable.

He got everything he deserved. That was not policing. It was his behavior that got him those three counts. Guilty, guilty, guilty. It was his behavior. It wasnt policing, it was his behavior and I think that that should send a message throughout the world: If you are going to protect and serve your community, do your job and not violate peoples rights because their color and you think you can, Henry said.

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He said he hopes the verdict will spark change.

History has been made today and I am glad to see it, he said.

5:35 - One down, many, many more to go

Van Jones, a CNN host, started trending on Twitter for the comments he gave after the verdict was read.

Jones told Anderson Cooper, One down, many, many more to go but I think about that young girl who brought out her cellphone and stood there in horror, not knowing what to do but just holding her phone steady. She did the right thing. All those community members who came and begged and pleaded and talked, they did the right thing. That EMT person did the right thing. When people called the police on the police, they did the right thing. When the police chief fired this man, he did the right thing. When people marched, they did the right thing. And part of what the message has to be is we have to get more involved. It started with that young girl, she got involved and then you had a community stand up and you had a governor step in and take the case and give it to Keith Ellison and make sure it was done the right way. This is the beginning of something, this is not the end of anything, this is the beginning of something.

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5:28 p.m. - Orlando Magic says work still needs to be done

5:26 p.m. - Minneapolis mayor says Floyd bettered city

5:22 p.m. - Rep. Stephanie Murphy says George Floyd should still be alive

5:17 p.m. - Orange County sheriff calls for calm

5:15 p.m. - Orange County mayor reacts

We have all waited with great anticipation for the verdict in the trial involving the murder of George Floyd.

As a 40-year veteran of law enforcement, I am pleased with the jury findings and now look to the sentencing phase to determine if justice prevails.

We should remember that the majority of the men and women who protect and serve are good public servants who care about the welfare of their communities.

But when officers cross the line and commit criminal acts, they must be prosecuted no differently than the people they serve, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said.

5:10 p.m. - Floyds family cheers

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Video from CNN shows the moment George Floyds family heard the verdict.

5:10 p.m. - Cheering for guilty verdict

Crowds outside the courthouse cheered, chanted and hugged as Chauvin was found guilty on all three counts Tuesday afternoon. There were tears as they yelled, Justice and George Floyd.

5:09 p.m. - Orlando Police Chief Orlando Rolon asks that verdict be respected

5 p.m. - Former President Obama supports verdict

Former President Barack Obama says the conviction of ex-police officer Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd was correct but only one step in the fight for justice.

He said in a statement that true justice requires Americans to understand that Black Americans are being treated differently every day and that millions live in fear that their next encounter with law enforcement could be their last.

Obama said the country needs to follow up on the verdict by taking concrete steps to reduce racial bias in the criminal justice system and to redouble efforts to expand economic opportunity in marginalized communities.

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4:45 p.m. - Crowds gather outside George Floyds memorial

Aerial footage shows hundreds of demonstrators anxiously awaiting the verdict near Floyds memorial outside Cup Foods in Minneapolis.

Theres a lot of mixed feelings. Its very emotional just being here knowing what took place. Youre right, theres a lot anxiety as to how things will play out. I just hope theres justice, Wisconsin resident Tracy Hibbard told the Associated Press on Tuesday.

That was a common theme as demonstrators chanted, No justice, no peace.

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'History has been made today:' Nation reacts to guilty verdict in George Floyd's death - WKMG News 6 & ClickOrlando

Frank Mazzaglia| Guest Columnist

Our national capitolis well guarded these days with armed soldiers and barbed wire all over the place. They are on guard against domestic terrorists.The narrative we are all supposed to believe is that domestic terrorism comes from the right.

Really?Perhaps its even true that people who cant read or suffer from severe memory loss might even believe that. On the other hand, people with a grasp of their right minds differ.Domestic violence in the nations recent history can be traced toHarlems race riots back in the '60s when, in a terrible incident, a 15-year-old black child namedJames Powell was shot by a police lieutenant. That was followed by a string of blowups in Watts, Newark and Detroit until some semblance of peace was finally restored.

Racial violence erupted across the United States again following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King in Memphis on April 4, 1968.

The 1968 Democratic Convention that nominated Hubert Humphrey was one of the most contentious in history marked by huge riotous street protests by the left. Then came the student occupation of Columbia University, which followed the attack on the Pentagon just theyear before.

Does anyone remember the massive anti-war protests in 1970 at Kent State followed by riots and student unrest at college campuses all across the country?Come to think of it, that was the same year that terrorists blew themselves up by accident. The 2,000-pound bomb they were building was meant to kill soldiers and their wives at a dance at Fort Dix, New Jersey.

During the turbulent Vietnam years of Nixons presidency, more than 40,000bombings, attempted bombings, and bomb threats were recorded in the United States.

In 1992, when a jury acquitted the four police officers involved in the beating of Rodney King, violence also followed in cities all across the United States.

The fact is that you dont have to go back that far to track violence from the left. In May of 2020, following the death of George Floyd, we saw massive protests in Minneapolis turned into riots that featured arson and looting and spread to Portland, Seattle and 140 other cities.

According to Patrick Buchanan, writing in the American Conservative, those riots resulted in the deaths of six people, scores of injured police and between $1 billion and $2 billion in damaged or destroyed property.Those were described as peaceful protests.

Heather Mac Donald , writing in the Wall Street Journal tells us, The year 2020 likely saw the largest percentage increase in homicides in American history. Murder rates were up 37 percent in a sample of 5 large and medium-sized cities. Based on preliminary estimates, at least 2,000 more Americans, most of them black, were killed in 2020 than in 2019."

Dozens of children, overwhelmingly black, were killed in drive-by shootings. They were slain in their beds, living rooms, and strollers. They were struck down at barber shops, in their yards, in malls, in their parents cars, and at birthday parties. Fifty-five children were killed in Chicago in 2020, 17 in St. Louis, and 11 in Philadelphia.

True enough, the Capitol riot by a mob of pro-Trump protestors went out of control and a good cop and four others lost their lives. It was terrible to watch. Yet, it pales when compared to the anarchy from the left and the right that continues into 2021. Shootings in Los Angeles are already up 742 percent. In Oakland, homicide were up 500 percent Closer to home, murders in New York were up 42 percent.

Overwhelming historical evidence shows that domestic violence is much more prevalent on the left.

FrankMazzagliacan be reached atfrankwrote@aol.com.

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Threats at home: The left has its own history of domestic terrorism - Milford Daily News

Corbin Burnes continued to do things no other pitcher has done Tuesday night.

The Milwaukee Brewers sizzling starter extended his historicstart to the season by blanking the San Diego Padres on four hits over six innings with no walks and 10 strikeouts to lead the way to a 6-0 victory at Petco Park.

Burnes became the first starting pitcher in modern history (since 1893) to record as many as 40 strikeouts without issuing a walk to begin a season. The previous record of 35 was set by St. Louis Adam Wainwright in 2013.

Brewers starting pitcher Corbin Burnes has struck out 40 batters without a walk in his four starts. He struck out 10 hitters in six innings Tuesday night at Petco Park.(Photo: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports)

In lowering his earned run average to 0.37 (one earned run in 24 1/3 innings), Burnes also became the first pitcherwith no walks and 40 strikeouts overa four-game stretch at any point. Since allowing his lone run of the season on a home run by Minnesotas Byron Buxton in his first start, Burnes has pitched 18 scoreless innings.

"He's pitching really well," manager Craig Counsell said. "He's earning those numbers because of how well he's pitching. Tonight he had to make some pitches in the fifth to get through that inning. He got an unbelievable defensive play to get him through the fourth.

"It was a little bit of a tougher outing. He had to make some pitches but he did and that's what good pitchers do."

BOX SCORE:Brewers 6, Padres 0

RELATED:Brewers closer Josh Hader once again is off to terrific start to season

The combination of Burnes' dominance and a five-run rally in the third inning allowed the Brewers to take their second in a row over the much-improved Padres, who have scored just one run in facing Milwaukee's two best starters -- Brandon Woodruff and Burnes.

"The Padres are a good team," Counsell said. "They've got good pitching and a tough lineup. You come in here and you take a couple of games. It's a good series. A chance to sweep the series tomorrow is as much as you can ask for.

"You have series on your schedule that you know are kind of going to be tough ones. I think this was one of them going in. We've played two nice ones led by our two big guys on the mound."

Padres starter Chris Paddack retired the first six batters but Billy McKinney snapped that stringin rude fashion by blasting a changeup out to center for his second home run in two nights. McKinney has gotten starts in left field with Christian Yelich on the injured list with an ailing back and has made the most of them.

"Players want opportunities," Counsell said. "Players like Billy sometimes, it feels like they don't get a ton of opportunities and you don't know when they're coming. Being able to deliver on those opportunities is easier said than done but that's what Billy's doing.

"He's been an impactful player;he's played really good defense;he's been a spark. He's a reason why we're thriving in a stretch when we're missing some really important players. That's what a team does. That's what good teams need to do. They need to get people to step up when guys go down. They need unexpected people to step up and Billy's played that role really well."

With one down, Burnes hit a bouncer to the right side that got past second baseman Jurickson Profar for what was ruled an error. That proved critical because the inning wasnt over when Jackie Bradley Jr. grounded out to Paddack, and the Brewers would go on to score four more runs.

After Daniel Vogelbach singled to left to put runners on the corners, Avisal Garca took four straight balls after the count was 0-2 to draw a walk that loaded the bases. Travis Shaw lined the first pitch he saw into the right-field corner for a two-run double, and Omar Narvez (three hits) followed with an opposite-field single to left to knock in two more for a 5-0 lead.

When Burnes struck out all three batters he faced in the bottom of the inning, he made baseball history. That trifecta gave him 36 strikeouts and no walks to open the season, surpassing Wainwright to become the first starting pitcher to produce those totalsin modern baseball.

After the game, Burnes was asked how he avoids thinking about the crazy-good numbers he is posting and remains focused on his work.

"I think I'll take the rest of the night to kind of reflect on it," he said. "You know, I've heard it from everyone in the clubhouse, so it's kind of hard to escape it right now. So, tonight we'll kind of reflect on it and enjoy it, and kind of celebrate a little bit tonight, but then we're back at it tomorrow."

McKinney went from home-run hero to spinner of web gems in the bottom of the fourth. Burnes string of retiring the first 10 hitters ended when Profar lined a 3-2 cutter to right for a base hit. After Jake Cronenworth took a called third strike, Eric Hosmer legged out an infield hit with a head-first slide into the bag that allowed Profar to scoot to third.

Wil Myers followed with a drive into the left-field corner that looked like a sure two-run, extra-base hit but McKinney raced over and laid out to make a diving grab in the corner just before smacking hard to the ground. Instead of pulling within three runs, the Padres still trailed, 5-0.

Billy McKinney makes a diving catch on a ball hit by Wil Myers during the fourth inning that saves two runs.(Photo: Denis Poroy, Getty Images)

"It just felt good keeping the game at zero right there," McKinney said. "(Burnes)deserved to put up a zero after his performance tonight so I was glad to haul that one in.

"(Coach) Quintin Berry had me kind of set up in a good position. He got me over a little bit more (to) pull and that kind of helped me get to that ball a little bit better. Just trying to get the best read that I could and knowing in that situation, Myers might be a little bit aggressive, so trying to be on my toes and be ready to make a play."

Tommy Pham opened the Padres fifth with an opposite-field single through the right side, and Ha-Seong Kim got lucky when Burnes brushed his jersey with a 0-2 fastball for an HBP. Luis Campusano took a called third strike but pinch-hitter Jorge Mateo blooped a single into center that eluded a diving Bradley Jr.

Burnes rose to the occasion, getting Trent Grisham to chase a curveball in the dirt for a strikeout and retiring Profar on a routine grounder to second. He then pitched a 1-2-3 sixth before departing, making Myers his 10th strikeout victim.

"We definitely had to grind out the fourth and fifth (innings)," Burnes said. "We kind of lost the feel of the breaking stuff, which is going to make it tough to put some guys away. We had to kind of mix and match with the cutter and sinker there a little bit.

"But, yeah, great play by Billy to get us out of that inning and then great job by Omar back there to keep some dirt balls in front and keeping guys out there (on the bases). So, good job all around there."

Jace Peterson, who entered the game in the seventh inning, extended the Brewers' lead to six runs with a one-out home run to center in the ninth.

Relievers Eric Yardley, Brad Boxberger and Drew Rasmussen each turned in a scoreless frame to complete the six-hit shutout with a total of 14 strikeouts.

Afterward, McKinney was asked what his approach would be if he had to face Burnes, the way he is throwing the ball right now.

"Hope he throws me four balls," McKinney said with a grin. "Heck, I don't know. He's been so nasty. That's a tough one right there. I'm glad I'm on his side and I don't have to really think about that. I'm not really sure what I'd do."

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Brewers 6, Padres 0: Corbin Burnes makes history with no walks and 40 strikeouts to begin season - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

FANWOOD, NJ -- Former professional baseball playerReggie Hammonds, a graduate of Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School, will host an event covering the history of the Negro Baseball League on Wednesday, April 21, at 7:30 p.m. Hammonds has recently reissued his book "Lil Diamonds: Baseball Gems in the Making" about a program designed to help youngsters be successful at the sport while also having fun.b

The event will feature selections from a documentary about the Negro Leagues, with players speaking about their playing days. Called Before You Can Say Jackie Robinson, it shares the history of black baseball and features many players from the days before Robinsonbroke the color barrierin the sport. To register, email campell@verizon.net. You will then receive a Zoom link to attend the presentation.

A special poem will be read by Kevin Kane whose Negro League version of "Casey at the Bat," called Breaking the Line with the Mudville Nine, was written for and first performed at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. Kane, a poet, musician and playwright, teaches music and performance arts at the Paul Laurence Dunbar public school in the Bronx.

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Lawrence Hoganof Fanwood is a professor of history at Union County College with a Ph.D in American and Afro-American history from Indiana University. Over the years, he acquired what is believed to be the most extensive private collection of black baseball memorabilia in the U.S. outside the Negro League Museum in Kansas City. Most of hislarge photo collection of Negro League players is now housedat the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.

Hogan says that these players and many more represented the quality of baseball in Negro Leagues, which featured great players including Josh Gibson, Satchel Paige, Monty Irvin, and Larry Doby.Except for Gibson, those players made it to the Majors.He credits black newspapers and their writers, including Sam Lacey and Wendel Smith, withpushing for inclusion.Starting with his dissertation on Black Press and their role in covering the Negro Leagues, Hogan became interested in the history of black baseball and later turned his dissertation into a book titled A Black National News Service: The Associated Negro Press.

Hogan later began running programs and exhibits to share the history of the Negro Leagues and theirplayers. He then started meeting players to put them in these programs, and later featured them in a documentary. Along the way, he becamepersonal friends with many of them.

Once you got to know the players, the were great gentlemen. You realized that they are more than great players, but also great friends, says Hogan.

Hogan was a key member of theNegro Leagues Researchers and Authors Group. In 2000, the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum received a grant from MLB to fund an external study on the full history of African-American baseball. Under Hogan's leadership, the group of researchers, historians and writersproduced several comprehensive documents.

The first was a lengthy manuscript and bibliography covering the African-American baseball story from the Civil War into the 1960s.The second was an exhaustive database of game statistics covering the period of 1920 to 1948. Although Negro Leagues Baseball continued league play throughout the 1950s, the final data year, 1948, was chosen because it was the last year of the Negro World Series.More than 25 researchers read through hundreds of newspapers to identify box scores for Negro Leagues Baseball games. This data was then cataloged so that game-by-game and year-by-year data could be reviewed and analyzed. The effort resulted in more than9,500 pagesof hitting and pitching statistics for more than 6,000 players!

Unfortunately, there are no official stats for Negro Leagues Baseball. Much of the game-by-game detail was lost or seldom reported. During the past few decades there have been several attempts to collect and rebuild these statistics, mainly using data supplied by box scores and game accounts published in the African-American newspapers that existed at the time.

The Baseball Hall of Fame's Negro League Researchers and Authors Group established a set of criteria for inclusion on this data set. Data is only included for league sanctioned games from 1920 to 1948 for which a published box score or credible scorebook existed. Statistics gleaned from game accounts alone without a supporting box score were not included.The year 1948 was determined to be the last year for the study because it was the last year of a sanctioned, official World Series.This data led to a special Hall of Fame election class in 2006.

VisitBaseball-Reference.orgto learn more about Negro Leagues statistics.

TAPintoSPF.net is Scotch Plains-Fanwoods only free daily local news source. Sign up for our free daily eNewsletter and Like us on Facebook and Twitter @SPF_TAP.Download the free TAPinto App for iPhone or Android.

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Fanwood Library Presents Virtual History of the Negro Baseball League on Weds, April 21 - TAPinto.net

Due to stigma, their illegal status and difficulty in finding control groups, research with psychedelics has been a challenge. But research increasingly shows that this class of drug has legitimate medicinal uses, and they may be just as good or even better than more traditional therapies.

Now, the Centre for Psychedelic Research at Imperial College London reports in the New England Journal of Medicine that when pitted against escitalopram (brand name: Lexapro), psilocybin was as effective as the popular SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) in treating moderate to severe depression. Perhaps most significantly, these results were obtained when comparing 6 weeks of daily doses of escitalopram to just two administrations of psilocybin.

Robin Carhart-Harris, head of the center who has published over 100 papers on psychedelics, is confident this study represents another step forward in applying psychedelics to mental health treatment protocols while also reducing fears a lot of citizens have around these substances. In a press release, he said:

"One of the most important aspects of this work is that people can clearly see the promise of properly delivered psilocybin therapy by viewing it compared with a more familiar, established treatment in the same study. Psilocybin performed very favorably in this head-to-head."

Credit: Robin Carhart-Harris et al, NEJM, 2021.

As depicted above, the phase 2 clinical trial included 59 volunteers. The escitalopram (control) group received six weeks of daily escitalopram in addition to two tiny (1-mg) doses of psilocybin a dose so low that it is unlikely to produce hallucinogenic effects. The psilocybin (experimental) group received two 25-mg doses of psilocybin three weeks apart with placebo given on all the other days.

At the end of the study, both groups saw a decrease in depressive symptoms, though the results were not statistically significant. (That isn't necessarily bad because if the two drugs have similar effects, then they would not produce statistically significant results. Still, a larger study is needed to confirm that psilocybin is "just as good as" escitalopram.)

Additionally, several other outcomes favored psilocybin over escitalopram. For instance, 57 percent in the psilocybin group saw a remission of symptoms compared to 28 percent in the escitalopram group. This result was significant.

As psychedelics become decriminalized and potentially legalized for therapeutic use, however, a large population of people might desire the antidepressant effects without the hallucinations. For example, the psychedelic ibogaine may be useful for treating addiction, so the company Mindmed is developing an analog that works without producing the unwanted hallucinogenic side effects.

A new research article, published in the journal PNAS, investigated the antidepressant effects of psilocybin on a group of chronically stressed mice. (Under immense stress, mice develop something resembling human depression.) As with humans, depressed mice lose a sense of joy, which can be assessed by determining their preference for sugar water over tap water. Normal mice prefer sugar water, but depressed mice simply don't care.

Once the mice were no longer juicing up on the sweetened water, the team dosed them with psilocybin alongside a drug called ketanserin, a 5-HT2A serotonin receptor antagonist that eliminates psychedelic effects. Within 24 hours of receiving the dose, the mice were rushing back to the sugar water, indicating that tripping is not necessary for psilocybin to work as an antidepressant.

While the team is excited about these results, they realize it needs to be replicated in a different population.

"The possibility of combining psychedelic compounds and a 5-HT2AR antagonist offers a potential means to increase their acceptance and clinical utility and should be studied in human depression."

Photo: Cannabis_Pic / Adobe Stock

Psychedelics such as psilocybin and LSD have a long track record of efficacy in clinical trials and anecdotal experiences. Almost all volunteers of the famous Marsh Chapel experiment claimed their experience on Good Friday in 1962 was one of the most significant events of their lives and this was a quarter-century after the fact. A more recent, controlled study found that a single dose of psilocybin showed antidepressant effects six months later.

Proponents of macrodosing and ritualistic experiences sometimes argue that the full-blown mystical trip is the therapy, though this is anecdotal, not clinical research. As the Maryland team noted, a number of people are contraindicated for psychedelics, whether through a family history of schizophrenia or current antidepressant treatments.

Senior author Scott Thompson is excited for future research on this topic. As he said of his team's findings:

"The psychedelic experience is incredibly powerful and can be life-changing, but that could be too much for some people or not appropriate These findings show that activation of the receptor causing the psychedelic effect isn't absolutely required for the antidepressant benefits, at least in mice."

Hopefully, with more research occurring in psychedelics than even in the 1950s (when studies predominantly relied on anecdotal evidence and little government support), the longstanding stigmatization of psychedelics is beginning to recede. This could open up new possibilities for both clinical research and, for those curious about the ritual effects, a continuation of introspective experiences.

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Stay in touch with Derek on Twitter and Facebook. His most recent book is "Hero's Dose: The Case For Psychedelics in Ritual and Therapy."

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A historian identifies the worst year in human history - Big Think

EMPORIA (KSNT) Some people in northeast Kansas are traveling to Minneapolis to commemorate the verdict in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.

Chauvin was found guilty Tuesday of unintentional second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter after he pressed his knee against George Floyds neck for over nine minutes.

Community advocate Jay Vehige is an Emporia native who is driving to Minnesota with friends to signify the moment in history, he said.

The ruling is something weve all been praying for and wishing for and thats why were going, Vehige said. We need to celebrate this victory right where it started and then come back home and continue the work that we really have to do here.

Vehige said he works with Black people in his community to create a safer place for everyone to live.

I just want to say to people that when you do fight, it does make a difference and to never give up, said Vehige.

This is a tipping point in the long history of injustice in our country, Vehige said. The 400 year-long history and legacy of racism its finally starting to fall down and we have the chance right now to make that difference. Wherever you are get involved in your community and fight for your people.

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Emporian headed to Minneapolis to celebrate tipping point in the long history of injustice - KSNT News

SOLON, OHIO When Dustyn Lucas signed with the first-year Bryant & Stratton College baseball program, he knew he would be part of many firsts.

But he may not have expected to be considered a pioneer pitcher.

The Bay City Central graduate earned that status April 18 when he pitched the first complete game in program history. Lucas spun a seven-inning gem for an 8-1 victory over Kent State Tuscarawas. More than 20 games into the debut season, he was the first Bryant & Stratton hurler to go the distance.

Bryant & Stratton is a fledgling NJCAA Division 2 program in Solon, Ohio, and Lucas jumped at the chance to play at the next level with the new squad.

The 6-foot right-hander was one of Bay City Centrals leading hitters with a .345 average as a junior in 2019. He worked 18 innings on the hill for the Wolves, posting a 2-1 mark, and was expected to serve as the teams No. 2 pitcher in 2020 a season that never happened due to the COVID-19 shutdown.

But Lucas is getting his chance to shine this spring. He sports a 3-0 record with a 2.25 ERA, striking out eight in 16 innings on the mound.

He made history for the Bobcats (18-6) with his complete-game performance. He struck out four and allowed three hits in a 109-pitch effort. He was one out away from a shutout before yielding an RBI double in the 8-1 win.

Pinconning graduate Kade Compeau also pitches for Bryant & Stratton. He came on to throw one inning of scoreless relief in Game 2, a 16-4 victory. Compeau has made nine appearances for the Bobcats and is 0-0 with one save and nine strikeouts in 13.1 innings.

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Bay City Central grad makes history with first-year college baseball program - MLive.com

Bull markets don't die of old age, as investors have been often reminded during this most recent one, but how long on average do they live?

Investors who consult the historical S&P 500 chart will find a technical answer to this question. Market history says anywhere from four to 11 years, and big first-year gains have been followed by longer bull market periods. That could be read as good news for investors inclined to take a technical view of stock momentum: the bull run in the U.S. large cap stock index that began after the sudden Covid collapse of March 2020 posted the biggest first-year gain for the S&P 500 since 1945, according to CFRA Research data.

Stock dipped in trading to start the week after Friday's Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 new records and tech shares were leading the losses on Monday. Investors have been worried and will continue to fear a pullback, and that is clear from the Wall Street research notes and institutional investor commentary whether "the big drop" is coming in May or June, watch that VIX and keep adding the hedges. When it comes to fears about a broader correction, the truth is that the corrections (plural) already happened.

A trader takes a break on Wall Street outside the New York Stock Exchange.

Brendan McDermid | Reuters

Several areas of the market have experienced declines of 10% or more at some point in 2021. In February and March, the big technology and growth names that had led the market for so long corrected 15%. Then energy stocks, after bouncing back hugely after their Covid bottom, experienced a 13% declined in just two weeks' time in 2021. The Russell 2000 small-cap rally, which was torrid after the November 2020 election, also fell 10% in a matter of two weeks.

"Pretty much, the entire stock market saw a 10% correction, but at different points," according to a Fundstrat Global Advisors note from around the one-year anniversary of the Covid bottom in late March. Fundstrat thinks these "rolling corrections" diminished the odds of a broader index correction. But that has not stopped investors from worrying about the hit still to come to stock portfolios, whether the culprit is the inflation bogeyman, a hedge fund failure signalling worse yet, or just a market that keeps uncovering the isolated but unnerving headlines that indicate a "bubble" through being about crypto or a New Jersey deli that reached a $100 million market capitalization without almost anyone realizing it.

The market has gone up a lot, in record time. Since the low on March 23, 2020, the S&P 500 has surged more than 90%; the Dow Jones Industrial Average just under 88%; and the Nasdaq near-112%. That's the highest first-year bull market gains since 1945 and outpaced the average of 37.5% for all prior bull markets.

The speed of this bull market makes sense when one looks at how quickly the bear market of 2020 occurred: 33 days from peak to trough, according to CFRA. "The fastest on record," according to Sam Stovall, CFRA's chief investment strategist. And then the market recovered everything it had lost in fewer than five months, the third-shortest period in market history to recoup such a massive level of losses. The history of the past 12 bull markets shows that those that bounced back from bear markets fastest also lasted the longest, on average. Only four of the past 12 bull markets did not make it to 1,000 days. The remaining bulls lasted from four years (October 1957) to nearly 11 years (March 2009).

A simple explanation: bull markets that return quicker are an indication that investors had less uncertainty, and more conviction in an economic and earnings recovery.

"The timidity with which investors are willing to get back in that implies how long the bull market can last," Stovall said. In this case, it's the lack of timidity, and what already occurred this year is emblematic of bull markets. You can call it "rolling corrections" or as Stovall does, "subsurface rotations rather than an overall retreat."

April earnings are so far coming in strong and Wall Street is climbing the wall of worry. Stovall thinks that tailwind can still get better and provide more momentum. "Investors in general think current estimates understate what is likely to happen in 2021 and we should we get a second half surge of economic growth."

A caveat to this bull market, and as a result any reading of the historical chart of the S&P 500 as a reason to remain bullish, is its origin. As former Fed chairman Ben Bernanke said last spring, Covid was more like a bad "snowstorm" than any market and economic downturn that had occurred before, including the Great Depression. But to technical market analysts, it really doesn't matter what causes the reset in prices and valuation when identifying the end of one bull market and the start of a new one.

Yes, this time was different. The break in the former bull market was a "conscious choice," i.e., shutting down the economy. But all bull and bear markets are "man-made" on one way or another, and for Stovall, the charts say a "bear market" is a bear market is a bear market. The bear market of 2020 was a cyclical bear market rather than a secular bear market, or even a "mega meltdown one."His preferred way to describe it? Not a snowstorm either, but just "garden variety" bear.

Bull markets can last years before they die, but over rolling 10-year periods going back a century, about 6% compound annual growth from the S&P 500 is the norm.

Secular forces are coming for investors, namely the crossroads in interest rates. That does concern Stovall. "I think investors have to contend with the secular change in the bond bull market and the downward trending yield environment since 1980. We have gone 40 years in a secular bull market for interest rates and now we are making that turn."

It is the K or V shape that the bond market takes which is now more concerning than all the debate in the past year about a K or V-shaped U.S. economic recovery. It doesn't mean there will be a V-shaped recovery in rates, "but certainly the best is behind us in terms of low yields," Stovall said.

For investors who want to draw more pessimistic bull market parallels from the past, Stovall points to two of most recent bull markets that did not make it to 1,000 days: 1966 and 1970. The 1966 market was the tail end of the "data processing bubble" yes, the 1960s had the first tech bubble. And 1970 was when inflation finally started to take hold of the economy and investor sentiment. "My worry would be overstimulating of the U.S. economy leading to sharper than anticipated rise in inflationary expectations and interest rates," Stovall said.

Which is exactly what had investors are worried about already, and were throughout early 2021 before the market tore past those fears.There are technical reasons to worry in the short-term. The S&P 500 already is up double digits on a percentage basis this year, more stocks than ever are trading above their 200-day moving average, and it is expensive relative to its own history, and overseas stocks (which the index has been expensive relative to for years already), as well as small-caps based on the earnings growth projections.

Stovall's view is that it is OK to think the best of this bull market is behind us, and prepare for periods of "stock market digestion," but that does not mean the good times are ending, especially if recent GDP projections for this year turn out to be accurate. "It doesn't mean we are headed for a 1929-like crash, but investors should expect more normal returns going forward," he said.

On average, the history of the S&P 500 shows that the first-year return of a bull market is 38% and the second year less than 12%. More important in Stovall's view is the 6% compound annual growth rate that the S&P 500 has turned in on a rolling 10-year basis going back 100 years.

"The implication is things will be coming down. An ease of gains rather than erase of returns," he says.

For traders in the Robinhood market who measure their success by how much they make on any given day, that might not be good enough. But one hundred years of market history says this is at least a safe, if somewhat sobering, longer-term bet on the bull market having legs.

Excerpt from:

When the bull market in stocks will end, according to S&P 500 history - CNBC

CONYERS Dollar Bill had been his little best friend and constant companion for more years than he can remember. While Walter Harris' Chihuahua was small in stature, his heart was big and brave. With the house burning down around them, Harris and Dollar Bill scrambled to safety outside in the yard. It was then the little dog turned and ran back into the fiery blaze.

Folks say they believe he rushed back in to save Harris' grandson, Jefferson Tye, who had already managed to find his own way out of the collapsing house.

The brave little dog would not survive. He died of smoke inhalation and was later found among the ashes of the Conyers home. His dog's death was but one of the many blows Harris would suffer from that horrific early morning fire on March 22. That was the day the Rockdale County native lost everything he had ever worked for his entire life.

He lost ev-er-ry-thing, his niece Renee Simpson said. He lost every possession he ever owned and that he worked for all his life. Everything went up in flamesHe had no insurance. He had liability on his vehicles. Well have to buy him a truck. No insurance on his house and only liability on his truck and car. No pension, no savings, nothing.

A man of few words who lived a simple life, Harris never needed much. And what he did have, he shared with others who were lacking.

Hes always been so quiet, Simpson said. He was a workaholic and a fisherman and always there for the family. When the family was in need, he was always there to do whatever he could physically or financially when he was employed and had money.

Harris did construction work all his life, primarily laying brick and pouring concrete. He also did what he could for his fellow citizens in Conyers. Simpson tells how Harris had four lawnmowers and for years, he would put the equipment on the back of his trailer and go to small churches throughout the community and mow their lawns for free. Now that equipment too is just rubble in the ashes.

It was an old small mill house in the Milstead community, but it was Harris home for 51 years. Filled with photos and memorabilia from his 80 years of life, the little house is where he and his late wife lived and where they raised their family. His wife had lived in the house next door before the couple married, so to Harris, this spot, this community is special.

It is very sad, Simpson said. He is grieving daily. When I speak of that grief, just imagine a person who returns to the gravesite of a spouse daily. That was his entire life.

The elderly widower is temporarily staying with friends nearby, but his niece says he keeps telling her he just wants to go home. Since the day after the fire, Harris goes to the ruins of his home each morning at 8, where he stays until 7 each evening. His niece worries because he often talks with well-wishers who stop by about those terrible moments of March 22, and he cries.

Harris said it was about 4 a.m. when he heard a loud pop. He later told his niece he thought it was a transformer, so he got up and went to the kitchen in the front of the house. He saw smoke coming underneath the door, so he ran back to his bedroom to get dressed and when he returned to the front, the fire was coming underneath the door.

Simpson said the cause of the fire is undetermined. Some have suggested it might have been a gas leak, but his niece said her uncle had not had the gas connected to his house for four years. The only thing for sure is that the house is gone and all thats left now is a tumble of wood and destroyed belongings.

He said it hurts him to leave, Simpson said. While hes there, he just burns a piece or two or three and he literally stares at the fire. Ive never seen anything like it before in my life.

Some have recommended he move into an apartment or subsidized housing, but Harris tells them he will die if he has to do that. His niece says she believes he would grieve himself to death and probably would not live longer than a month.

He just wants to be right there in that exact spot and doesnt want to go anywhere else, she added. Simpson has sent out 213 letters to companies and organizations asking for help with rebuilding her uncles home. A few have reached out, but Simpson hopes others will offer to donate materials, money, services or volunteer their time. She said her uncle and family are grateful for everything people have already been doing to help.

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There have been a couple of churches that have come out and left money for food, she said. Beasleys Drug Store has been wonderful. Theyve been bringing food out. Weve had people in the community to bring him clothing and now he has more than he needs. Toiletries have been overwhelming. He has an abundance. Our main focus right now is the difficult part of getting the house reconstructed. Were needing building materials, laborers, people who are professionals who can donate their time for flooring, insulation, drywall and other needs.

A licensed real estate agent for 24 years, Simpson has found a house plan that is as similar as possible to Harris former home. It is a small two-bedroom cottage with a family room and a kitchen.

Hes pleased with that, she said. He just wants to be right there in that exact spotAll he talks about is having his house rebuilt. He says, I just want to go home and walk into my house.

Simpson said she is planning to go through her own old family photos and is looking forward to the day she can frame a few to hang on the walls of her uncles new house.

Every time he sees her, Harris tells his niece how much he appreciates her and says he doesnt know what he would do without her. Simpson worries about her uncle and wants to do everything she can.

I cant explain it, she said. Hes in his own world. Ive never seen him like this in my whole life.

A GoFundMe page has been set up and donations can be made by going to

Thats my favorite uncle always, Simpson said, adding that she is the daughter of Harris late brother, James, who passed away in 1997. Hes a fisherman and I love fish. I could eat it seven days a week. Hed always go fishing and hed call me up and say hes got fish for me. Id pop in on him and make sure hes OK Weve always been very close.

It was Harris neighbor, who is also a close family friend, who called Simpson the morning of the fire. She first asked the friend if her uncle and cousin were safe and the friend said yes, but added that no one could find little Dollar Bill.

Simpson arrived at daybreak to see her uncle standing there with tears rolling down his face.

I felt a sense of tremendous void, Simpson said. I was hurting as though Id just lost my dad all over again. The tears from him were not just for a loss, but a death. It touched me to the core, and I could not fathom what he was feeling at that time. Every emotion he was feeling, it drifted over to me. I could feel itThe takeaway is he survived and my cousin survived. So after gathering myself, I was able to give a sigh of relief.

All of this other stuff can be replaced, but when you think about it, I know this is what hes thinking, it cannot be replaced. Fifty-one years. It cannot.

Stacker mined 2019 data (released in 2020) from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and compiled a list of the highest-paying jobs that require a bachelors degree. Click for more.

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Conyers resident Walter Harris grieves loss of home and history - Henry Herald

On April 5, NYU announced that vaccine efforts would be amplified following the increase of vaccine stock. In an email sent by Dr. Carlo Ciotoli, executive lead of NYUs COVID Prevention & Response Team, the efforts began with the vaccination of 1,200 students, just in time for New York States expansion of vaccine eligibility which permitted residents aged 16 and older to receive vaccines beginning April 6.

The university employed a lottery system, randomly selecting 1,200 of the students who filled out the COVID-19 Vaccine Interest & Certification Survey. Demand for the vaccine exceeds its availability, which is why NYU encouraged students to seek vaccination appointments elsewhere and not to rely solely on the universitys efforts. Though the demand for vaccines is high, there is still a noticeable hesitancy among Americans. Some of this comes from unfounded fears, such as conspiracies of microchips in the vaccines, or baseless claims that the vaccine is deadly. However, not all apprehension is unjustified. There is a long history of medical misconduct at the hands of the federal government towards Black Americans.

Black communities are disproportionately affected by COVID-19. However, a poll conducted by Pew Research Center revealed that only 42 percent of the demographic would immediately take the vaccine. This documented distrust in the vaccine is rooted in fact. There is no history of vaccinations being used to microchip individuals or to alter human DNA, but there is a history of Black Americans being denied proper, effective medical care.

The Tuskegee Syphilis Study, also referred to as the Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the African American Male, was an unethical study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the United States Public Health Service that spanned 40 years, from 1932 to 1972.

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A total of 600 Black male sharecroppers in Macon County, Alabama enrolled in the study, 399 of whom had latent syphilis. Medical exams, transportation to appointments, meals on examination days and even remedies for other ailments were used as an incentive for participants.

The administrators of the study withheld treatment from men who were unaware of their diagnosis in order for medical professionals to observe the effects of the untreated illness. They were given placebos and were made to believe that they were being healed. Despite the discovery of penicillin in 1947, the study did not administer it to the participants, allowing them to suffer from the illness.

These accounts do not mean that refusing the vaccine is a sound decision. This is merely to say that the particular reservations of Black Americans comes from a proven history of injustice that still perpetuates a multigenerational distrust of the government.

There is no evidence of this corruption in vaccine distribution, but scientists and medical professionals still have a responsibility to address these concerns in a way that specifically pertains to the experiences of Black Americans.

Opinions expressed on the editorial pages are not necessarily those of WSN, and our publication of opinions is not an endorsement of them.

EmailSydney Barraganat[emailprotected]

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OPINION: The CDC must grapple with its racist history - NYU Washington Square News