Is it better to be loved or heard? In an interview published Friday by British news outlet the Telegraph, Meghan Markle said she doesn’t want the public’s love; she just wants to use her newfound platform to advance the causes she cares so deeply about, according to journalist and friend Bryony Gordon.
Today, Oklahoma is freeing 527 inmates who were incarcerated for minor drug and nonviolent offenses– the largest single day of commutation in U.S. history.
Oklahoma Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt signed off on freeing the inmates last Friday, granting the historic commutations backed by voters. Three years ago, Oklahoma voters approved two ballot measures, State Question 780 and 781. This action lowered low-level crimes, such as simple drug possession and nonviolent property crimes under $1,000, to misdemeanors instead of felonies. The rationale for doing this boils down to dollars and cents. The state factored in all of the money it will save on incarceration, and how those dollars could be redirected to drug treatment and rehabilitation services, according to the Star Tribune.
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In January, a bipartisan contingent of lawmakers voted to apply the 2016 laws retroactively, paving the way for today’s commutation.
At a Friday press conference, Stitt announced that the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board had unanimously recommended commuting the sentences of the 527 inmates – and that he had signed off on it. Stitt, a first-term governor who campaigned on prison reform, said: “Today, we’re implementing the will of the people.”
“They’ve got a lot of paperwork to do,” Stitt said referring to the Secretary of State’s office, according to the Star Tribune. “I’ve got to sign 450 of these this afternoon.” Once the parole board makes a recommendation to commute a sentence, it then passes to the governor for final approval.
Oklahoma has the highest incarceration rate in the United States and has long engaged in tough sentencing for low-level offenders. But when voters passed the two ballot measures, it was a good indicator to the Republican-dominated legislature that residents wanted a less harsh approach.
READ MORE: 2020 Presidential candidate Andrew Yang wants mass pardon for nonviolent marijuana convictions
Ryan Kiesel, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Oklahoma branch, said the commutations are a step in the right direction although more work needs to be done.
“From the 30,000-foot view, the criminal justice landscape is light-years ahead of where it was three or four years ago,” Kiesel told the newspaper. “It would have been impossible before State Question 780 passed in Oklahoma; that signaled to lawmakers there was an appetite for reform.”
The post Oklahoma frees 527 inmates, setting U.S. single-day commutation record appeared first on theGrio.
Poor fan turnout and low morale led to the decision to oust Florida State University head football coach Willie Taggart– even with a buyout worth more than $18 million on the line.
The move showed just how big of a business college football is.
When programs lose money because football teams fail to deliver, it leaves college administrators to make difficult choices. According to USA Today, that is exactly what FSU’s administration did.
READ MORE: Ex-college football star Crawford sentenced to 12 years for molesting girl
Ultimately, the school weighed the future money it estimated it would lose versus the $18 million buyout, and decided that the buyout would be cheaper. Although the decision was tough for the Seminoles, it was the right one, according to USA Today. Early recruiting ends in December and this move gives Florida State the ability to go after top recruits.
In addition, Odell Haggins, the Interim coach who is the defensive line assistant, doesn’t want the job. However, he will coach games while the Seminoles recruit a new coach.
Taggart, however, tweeted that he was disappointed in the firing.
“Obviously, I am disappointed in the decision today as I believe our future is bright at Florida State,” Taggart tweeted. “Building a program and a culture takes time, and I regret that we will not have the opportunity to continue to coach these incredible young men. I want to thank first and foremost our student-athletes, who never stopped believing and who deserve to find success. I also want to thank our coaches and staff who believed in what we were building and who are among the finest men and women in our profession. Finally, I want to thank the Florida State faithful for their support as we worked towards building a program that they could be proud of. On behalf of my family and I, we wish Florida State nothing but the best and will be cheering on the Seminoles the rest of the way.”
— Willie Taggart (@CoachTaggart) November 3, 2019
READ MORE: Florida State basketball player mourns loss of dad after NCAA tournament win
One thing’s for certain – FSU can’t screw up its new hire. If they fired Taggart for poor performance, they need to hire someone who can come and rally the FSU fan base and players and get wins from the onset.
Or they will continue to bleed money.
The post Florida State believes firing Willie Taggart will ultimately save them money appeared first on theGrio.
Serena Williams is always taking a positive stance when she is not playing tennis. According to CBS News, Williams is now the national ambassador for the Allstate Foundation Purple Purse program.
“A really close friend of mine was going through a situation that wasn’t really healthy for her, wasn’t healthy for her friends, or her family — and it was difficult to tell her,” she said. “And then I realized, look, oh my goodness, she’s — all the signs that I was learning about with financial abuse, she was involved in.”
“I had no idea what financial abuse was. When I read that 99% of domestic violence cases do involve financial abuse, I feel like that was a really, really high number, and it’s shocking,” Williams told CBS News correspondent Jericka Duncan.
“I feel like a responsibility to make people know more about things like financial abuse. And how to avoid it like I want to teach my daughter everything about it,” Williams said. “And if I have more kids and I have a boy, I want to teach him about it so he is not a part of the problem and only adds to the solutions.”
“To end the cycle of abuse, we must have meaningful conversations to shine a light on how financial abuse traps victims,” said Ellen Lisak, Allstate Foundation senior program officer. Williams, who has been involved with the Allstate Foundation’s Purple Purse initiative for three years, knows that knowledge is key when it comes to recognizing the signs of financial abuse.
As stated on their website, “Since 2005, Allstate Foundation Purple Purse has been committed to raising awareness for domestic violence and financial abuse as a prevalent — and often misunderstood — issue in our society today. Only once we recognize and understand the problem can survivors receive the help and healing they need. So Purple Purse began gathering support for hundreds of national, state and local domestic violence organizations.”
The purpose of Allstate’s Purple Purse initiative is to provide domestic abuse survivors with an intensive step-by-step financial empowerment curriculum. If you or someone you know is suffering from any form of domestic and/or financial abuse, you can reach out to the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.
Serena Williams is always taking a positive stance when she is not playing tennis. According to CBS News, Williams is now the national ambassador for the Allstate Foundation Purple Purse program.
“A really close friend of mine was going through a situation that wasn’t really healthy for her, wasn’t healthy for her friends, or her family — and it was difficult to tell her,” she said. “And then I realized, look, oh my goodness, she’s — all the signs that I was learning about with financial abuse, she was involved in.”
“I had no idea what financial abuse was. When I read that 99% of domestic violence cases do involve financial abuse, I feel like that was a really, really high number, and it’s shocking,” Williams told CBS News correspondent Jericka Duncan.
“I feel like a responsibility to make people know more about things like financial abuse. And how to avoid it like I want to teach my daughter everything about it,” Williams said. “And if I have more kids and I have a boy, I want to teach him about it so he is not a part of the problem and only adds to the solutions.”
“To end the cycle of abuse, we must have meaningful conversations to shine a light on how financial abuse traps victims,” said Ellen Lisak, Allstate Foundation senior program officer. Williams, who has been involved with the Allstate Foundation’s Purple Purse initiative for three years, knows that knowledge is key when it comes to recognizing the signs of financial abuse.
As stated on their website, “Since 2005, Allstate Foundation Purple Purse has been committed to raising awareness for domestic violence and financial abuse as a prevalent — and often misunderstood — issue in our society today. Only once we recognize and understand the problem can survivors receive the help and healing they need. So Purple Purse began gathering support for hundreds of national, state and local domestic violence organizations.”
The purpose of Allstate’s Purple Purse initiative is to provide domestic abuse survivors with an intensive step-by-step financial empowerment curriculum. If you or someone you know is suffering from any form of domestic and/or financial abuse, you can reach out to the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.
