Top 5 Live-WURD Thursday July 9
1. New charges in Charleston church shooting: Attempted murder
The man accused of killing nine people attending Bible study at a historic black church in Charleston has been indicted on three new charges of attempted murder, prosecutors said Tuesday.
Dylann Storm Roof, 21, already had been charged with nine counts of murder, one for each person killed in the June 17 attack at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal church. He also faces a weapons charge, and has been indicted on that charge and the murder counts.
Prosecutor Scarlett Wilson said in a statement that the new attempted-murder charges stem from survivors of the massacre.
Roof’s defense attorney did not immediately return a message. Roof’s next court date is expected in October.
2. Subway Suspends Spokesman Jared Fogle After Child Porn Raid
Subway suspended pitchman Jared Fogle on Tuesday after authorities raided his Indiana home in a child pornography investigation earlier that morning.
“Subway and Jared Fogle have mutually agreed to suspend their relationship due to the current investigation,” Subway said in a statement. “Jared continues to cooperate with authorities and he expects no actions to be forthcoming.”
Fogle attorney Ronald Elberg said in a statement that Fogle “has not been detained, arrested or charged with any crime or offense.”
Fogle rose to fame and became a Subway spokesman after losing more than 200 pounds eating Subway sandwiches in the early 2000s.
3. Philly must re-hire counselors, official finds
Every Philadelphia public school could have a full-time counselor in September, and dozens of laid-off counselors stand to be re-hired if a recently-issued arbitrator’s decision stands.
Handing the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers a significant victory, the independent arbitrator ruled that district was out of bounds when it bypassed seniority in recalling laid-off employees, and that it is in violation of its contract for failing to have one full-time counselor at every school, union officials confirmed Tuesday.
The district has vowed to appeal the decision, throwing into doubt whether the changes will be in place when school opens in the fall.
The independent arbitrator’s ruling applies to the district’s 2013 recall of counselors, all of whom had been let go that June because of budget cuts. Some counselors were recalled but not, as their contract states, in seniority order.
4. South Carolina bill to remove Confederate flag moves to House
The effort to remove the Confederate flag from the South Carolina
statehouse grounds is riding strong momentum.
The governor is for it. Nearly all state senators are backing it. And petitioners are collecting signatures by the hundreds of thousands.
A final Senate vote of 36-3 sent the bill to the House late Tuesday morning. The South Carolina House of Representatives voted 93 to 18 to send the Flag Bill directly to the floor and bypass committee.
Sen. Kimpson tells CNN “I’m told that was the vote to bypass committee
so now it goes to the floor for 2nd reading which is where the debate will take place.” The House has adjourned for the day and reconvenes at 10 a.m. Wednesday.
5. Hillary Clinton plans meeting with Congressional Black Caucus
Next week, Hillary Clinton will meet with lawmakers from the Congressional Black Caucus, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. The meetings are expected to focus on policy issues, according to sources familiar with the agenda.
“Members of the Congressional Black Caucus are invited to a policy meeting with Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The meeting will be an overview on pressing foreign and domestic policy issues impacting the African American Community,” according to an email sent by the Clinton campaign.
A Clinton official said the meetings will focus on the “foreign and domestic issues that impact the African American, Hispanic, and Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.”
Click here to read these stories on 900amWURD.
Solomon Jones is an Essence bestselling author and award-winning columnist. He is the creator and editor of Solomonjones.com and morning host on 900 am WURD radio. Click here to learn more about Solomon
