Black woman braided hairstyles

Lawmakers in Texas will consider prohibiting race-based hair discrimination under a proposal that was inspired by the experiences of two Black high schoolers who were told to cut their locks or face discipline. House Bill 567 , from state Rep. Rhetta Bowers , D-Garland, would prohibit schools and workplaces from discriminating based on certain hairstyles — including braids, dreadlocks and twists. The bill is scheduled to have a public hearing Wednesday before the lower chamber’s State Affairs Committee. The bill does not refer to dreadlocks specifically, but mentions locks, a term some people use to describe long hairstyles similar to what are commonly known as dreadlocks. Such laws, often called the Crown Act, have been passed in state legislatures throughout the country since 2019 when two young men in Mont Belvieu, east of Houston, made international headlines with their situation. A companion measure has been filed in the upper chamber by state Sen. Borris Miles, … [Read more...] about Texas lawmaker again tries to block discriminatory hairstyle bans in schools and workplaces

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — One Black lawmaker and nine white ones have been chosen to negotiate final versions of bills that could expand the territory of a state-run police department inside Mississippi's majority-Black capital city. Critics say the bills are a way for the Republican-controlled state government to exert control over Jackson, which is 83% Black and is governed by Democrats. The Black lawmaker chosen as a negotiator, Democratic Rep. Earle Banks of Jackson, said Tuesday that his goal is to have a safer city. With just under 150,000 residents, Jackson has had more than 100 homicides for each of the past three years. “I think there is a desire by citizens in the city of Jackson for additional police protection, and Capitol Police may be the answer to that,” Banks told The Associated Press. Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann and House Speaker Philip Gunn, both Republicans, on Tuesday finished selecting the senators and representatives to work on the final versions of two … [Read more...] about Only 1 Black rep gets role in talks on Mississippi policing

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 Residents of a Louisiana parish located in the heart of a cluster of polluting petrochemical factories filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday raising allegations of civil rights, environmental justice and religious liberty violations. The lawsuit names St. James Parish as the defendant and says the parish council approved the construction of several factories in two Black districts of the parish that emit harmful amounts of toxic chemicals. It said the pollution negatively affected the health of the area's Black residents. Plaintiffs in the lawsuit are calling for a moratorium on petrochemical plants like one being built by Formosa Plastics that was approved by the council in 2019. The Associated Press reached out to the council for comment but did not receive an immediate response. For several years, Black residents of St. James Parish have lobbied the parish council and state … [Read more...] about Residents sue Louisiana parish to halt polluting plants

With the start of the Houston Astros ' World Series defense a little more than a week away, manager Dusty Baker provided insight into his one-of-a-kind baseball journey. Appearing on HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, Baker discusses an array of topics—including the impact his father and Hank Aaron had on Baker's life, his Hall of Fame candidacy and the decision to take over the Astros in wake of the team's sign-stealing scandal . Baker said in the opening of the interview, which first airs Tuesday night at 9 p.m., that he received roughly 1,500 text messages after Houston's World Series win over the Philadelphia Phillies, with Barack Obama, Snoop Dogg, Sandy Koufax and Joe Montana among those who reached out. Baker entered the 2022 playoffs with three Manager of the Year awards and over 2,000 regular-season wins on his resume, but his managerial career was still lacking a World Series title. That changed during Game 6 of last year's Fall Classic. "A lot of people … [Read more...] about Dusty Baker talks Hank Aaron memories, reveals why he joined Astros

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — The effort to recall Democratic New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell has failed, following an official count of petition signatures released by the Louisiana governor’s office Tuesday. Although the petition sheets contained over 67,000 signatures, most where declared invalid by the registrar. Gov. John Bel Edwards announced that only 27,243 of the signatures were valid — falling about 18,000 short of what was needed to force a referendum. Signatures can be rejected for a multitude of reasons including, if they are dated after the deadline, the title page is mislabeled, there is erroneous information or profanity, if the person is out-of-parish or if the signature is a duplicate. “My administration has always remained focused on addressing the real pressing issues that face our city,” Cantrell said in a statement to WAFB-TV. “Now, with the divisiveness of the … [Read more...] about Effort to recall New Orleans’ first female mayor fails

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 EDITORS: EMBARGOED UNTIL SUNDAY, MARCH 19 - - - PITTSBURGH - During every Adam Sandler stand-up show, he straps on his electric guitar and sings a song. Unlike the bite-size ditties he's peppered through the set about selfies or baggy shorts, this one concerns his late, great "Saturday Night Live" buddy, Chris Farley. It is a perfect tribute. Sandler, singing softly as he strums in G, captures the complicated beauty of Farley as clips of his most memorable high jinks play on a giant screen behind him. The crowd roars as he references Farley's electrifying SNL turns as a Chippendales dancer and a motivational speaker "living in a van down by the river." There is a hush as Sandler slips into the bridge, a peek into his friend's vulnerability. "I saw him in the office, crying with his headphones on "Listening to a KC and the Sunshine Band song "I said, 'Buddy, how the hell is … [Read more...] about Adam Sandler doesn’t need your respect. He just wants to make you laugh.

Las Vegas is often referred to as Disneyland for adults, but there's plenty of magic in Sin City for the whole family to enjoy. Gondola rides, surreal art installations, chocolate factory tours, hiking trails and more are sure to please travelers of any age. And perhaps the best part? You can visit the city on a budget by booking a cheap flight from Houston and adding free and low-cost activities to your itinerary . To help you plan your trip, we've curated a list of the best things to do in Las Vegas with kids that won't break the bank. Take a sweet tour of a chocolate factory If you're looking for sweet indoor activity to do with kids in Las Vegas, the Ethel M. Chocolate Factory is at your service. Located 20 minutes off the Strip, the gourmet chocolatier offers free self-guided tours of its factory where you can watch confectioners at work (and, yes, there are complimentary samples involved). Stick around to explore the three-acre botanical cactus garden the factory … [Read more...] about Thrilling things to do with kids in Las Vegas that are low cost or free

This is the new all-electric Ford Explorer, but it has nothing in common with the US-spec Explorer or its plug-in hybrid variant sold in select European markets. Developed specifically for Europe, the Explorer EV is an all-new model that becomes the first Ford to use Volkswagen Group's MEB architecture. The two-row mid-size crossover is also the Blue Oval's first volume all-electric passenger car built in Europe, at Ford's new EV plant in Cologne, Germany . With a length of under 177.1 inches (4.5 meters), the Explorer EV is slightly shorter than the Volkswagen ID.4 with which it shares the underpinnings, offering seating for five. Ford targets a starting price under $48,300 (€45,000) when orders open later this year in Europe. That will make it significantly more affordable than the Mustang Mach-E, which starts at $67,600 (€62,900) in Germany. Two highly specified versions will be available – Explorer and Explorer Premium. German Engineering, American Styling Ford says … [Read more...] about Ford Explorer EV Is A VW MEB-Based SUV For Europe Priced From $48,500

Polestar has unveiled the BST edition 230, the second limited-edition version of the Polestar 2 after the BST edition 270. Developed as part of its Polestar Engineered portfolio, the Polestar 2 BST edition 230 adopts the same chassis modifications as the original BST edition while focusing more on performance design details. Those include the exclusive green Nebula paintwork and MicroSuede textile for the seats and steering wheel inserts, which are made from partly recycled Nubuck textile. Customers also have the choice of a Space black paint for the body, as well as an optional full-length body stripe available for either body color. "Limited drops like the BST edition 230 allow us to explore colors, graphics and materials in faster and more creative ways," says Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar CEO. Other styling upgrades include the body color-painted sills and cladding and mirror caps in high gloss black. Gallery: Polestar 2 BST edition 230 38 Photos … [Read more...] about Polestar 2 BST Edition 230 Debuts As A More Stylish Take On BST 270