Tuesday, March 29 top stories
It is Tuesday, March 29. Here are today’s top stories.
Will Smith apologizes
Will Smith issued an apology on his Instagram account on Monday night for slapping comedian Chris Rock during the Oscars. Smith said, “Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behavior at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable… A joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally.”
Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, also posted on her Instagram a simple statement that said, “This is a season for healing and I’m here for it.”
The Academy said it has started a “formal review” around the incident and will explore further action and consequences.
Chris Rock has not yet made a public comment. He will give a performance in Boston on Wednesday night and he is expected to say something. Tickets for that show skyrocketed from around $46 for the cheapest seats to around $315, while good seats had tickets for over $900.
NFL to require minority or female offensive coaches
The NFL announced yesterday that all 32 NFL teams must have at least one member of an ethnic or racial minority and/or a female assistant coach on their offensive side for the 2022 season. The NFL said it would reimburse teams for the assistant’s salary for up to two years. The reasoning is to develop experience among offensive assistant coaches to potentially become head coaches. The NFL said “in recent years, head coaches have predominantly had offensive backgrounds.” The NFL has only two Black head coaches and three other coaches that is a member of an ethnic or racial minority. There were 12 female assistant coaches at the start of the 2021 season. There is a pending lawsuit from former Dolphins coach Brian Flores against the NFL and three teams with allegations of racist hiring practices.
Hotel owner sued for banning Native Americans
One of the owners of the Grand Gateway Hotel in Rapid City, South Dakota posted on Facebook last Sunday that Native Americans are no longer welcome on the hotel property and its bar because there was a shooting on March 19 at the hotel involving a Native American person. The owner, Connie Uhre, remarked that “I can’t tell who is a bad Native or a good Native.”
The mayor of Rapid City tweeted last Monday that neither the shooting incident or the hotel owner’s remark reflects the city’s values. The mayor, Steve Allender, said the owner attacked 12% of Rapid Citians who are Native American and the larger Native American population nationwide.
Two Indigenous rights organizations filed class action lawsuits against the hotel and its parent company, claiming that they were denied reservations at the hotel last week.
The hotel owners are now trying to get the support of South Dakota Gov. Noem, asking them to help and remove Rapid City’s mayor. The governor’s office said in a statement that it is opposed to all racial discrimiantion and will not be commenting further due to ongoing litigation on this subject.
——
[Sponsored Video from Sorenson: www.sorenson.com]
—
[Advertisement from Disaster Distress Helpline] After a disaster, you may be at risk for emotional distress. The Disaster Distress Helpline offers a 24/7 direct videophone option. Dial 1-800-985-5990 or go to disasterdistress.samhsa.gov.]
——
Russia says it will pull back troops
Russia’s military said today that it would cut back operations near Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, with the goal of increasing trust to move forward to a possible cease-fire and a peace deal.
The Ukrainian military said it has noticed withdrawals around Kyiv and a nearby city, Chernihiv.
Today there were diplomatic talks between Ukraine and Russia, hosted by the president of Turkey.
The Pentagon’s spokesperson said they are skeptical about Russia’s intentions, saying they believe that this is a repositioning, not a real withdrawal, and that we should be prepared to watch for a major offensive against other areas in Ukraine.
7-hour gap in Trump calls on Jan 6.
The Washington Post reported that internal White House records on the day of the Jan 6. attack on the Capitol showed a seven hour and 37 minutes gap in then-President Trump’s phone logs. The gap was from 11:17 a.m. to 6:54 p.m. This period of time was when a violent riot broke into the Capitol and forced members of Congress to evacuate. The Jan 6. House Committee is now investigating whether Trump used other people’s phones or disposable phones or is trying to cover up because the committee has testimony and other evidence that multiple had phone calls with Trump during that 7-hour gap. If you remember, a federal judge said on Monday it is more likely than not that Trump committed a federal crime by trying to obstruct Congress.
That is all the top stories for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light.
https://www.inquirer.com/news/chris-rock-will-smith-slap-jada-pinkett-show-tickets-20220329.html
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ukraine-russia-war-1.6400809
https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/25/us/south-dakota-hotel-lawsuit-native-americans/index.html
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ukraine-russia-war-1.6400809
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/03/29/trump-white-house-logs/