Longtime Tucson Congressman Raúl M. Grijalva, who inspired generations of environmental and inner-city activists in a political career that spanned more than a half-century, died Thursday morning.

Grijalva spent half a century in public service and represented Arizona in Congress for more than two decades.

"In the midst of her groundbreaking career in the U.S. House of Representatives, Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm once declared, 'Everyone--with the exception of the black woman herself--has been interpreting the black woman.' Edited by the leading scholar dedicated to the study of Chisholm's legacy, Shirley Chisholm in Her Own Words gives readers a rare opportunity to engage with the Congresswoman's powerful ideas through the power of her own voice. The introduction by Dr. Zinga A. Fraser, Director of the Shirley Chisholm Project on Brooklyn Women's Activism and author of a forthcoming book on Chisholm and Black Congressional women's political legacy, provides insight into Chisholm's role as a public intellectual and Black feminist during the Civil Rights and Black Power era"--

"In his classic book Devil's Bargain, Joshua Green chronicled how the forces of economic populism on the right, led by the likes of Steve Bannon, turned Donald Trump into their flawed but powerful vessel. In The Rebels, he gives an epic account of the long struggle that has played out in parallel on the left, told through an intimate reckoning with the careers of the three political figures who have led the charge most prominently. Based on remarkable inside sourcing and razor-sharp analysis, The Rebels uses the grand narrative of a political party undergoing tumult and transformation to tell an even larger story about the fate of America. For many years, as Green recounts, the Democrats made their bed with Wall Street and big tech, relying on corporate money for electioneering and embracing the worldview that technological and financial innovation and globalization were a powerful net good, a rising tide lifting all boats. Yes, there were howls of pain, but they were written off by most of the elites as the moaning of sore losers mired in the past. There were always some Democratic politicians representing the old labor base who resisted the new dispensation, but these figures never made it very far on a national level. For one thing, they didn't have the money. But as income inequality ballooned, widening the gulf between the wealthy elite and everyone else, pressures began to build. With the 2008 crisis, those forces finally erupted into plain sight, turning this book's protagonists into national icons. At its heart, The Rebels tells the riveting human story of the rise and fight of Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez from the financial crisis on, as outrage over the unfairness of the American system formed a flood tide of political revolution. That same tide that would sweep Trump into office was blunted on the left, as the Democratic party found itself riven by culture war issues between its centrists and its progressives. But the winds behind economic populism still howl at gale force. Whether the Democrats can bridge their divisions and home in on a vision that unites the party, and perhaps even the country, in the face of the most violently deranged political landscape since the Civil War will be the ultimate test of the legacies of all three characters" --

Lawmakers investigating Harvard University’s response to antisemitism are demanding the Ivy League school turn over a treasure trove of documents in two weeks.

Text for H.R.55 - 117th Congress (2021-2022): Emmett Till Antilynching Act

"This bill prohibits no-knock warrants, which generally permit law enforcement officers to enter a premises without first identifying their authority and purpose."

"Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery in the United States. It is also known as Emancipation Day Juneteenth Independence Day and Black Independence Day. On June 19 1865 Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston TX and announced the end of the Civil War and the end of slavery. Although the Emancipation Proclamation came 2 years earlier on January 1, 1863 many slave owners continued to hold their slaves captive after the announcement so Juneteenth became a symbolic date representing African American freedom. This fact sheet assists congressional offices with work related to Juneteenth. It contains sample speeches and remarks from the Congressional Record presidential proclamations and remarks and selected historical and cultural resources."

"In May and June 2020 protests erupted nationwide after the publication of video footage of a Minneapolis police officer pressing his knee into the neck of George Floyd leading to his death. That incident and its aftermath have sparked heightened interest in Congress' ability to implement reforms of state and local law enforcement."

"Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez D-N.Y. took to the House floor Thursday morning to admonish the insults hurled at her by Rep. Ted Yoho R-Fla. earlier this week."

"This bill makes lynching a federal hate crime offense."

"Readers are moved by an Op-Ed piece he wrote days before his death urging people to 'tand up for what you truly believe.'''

"Lawmakers and experts called for shifting public rhetoric surrounding Covid-19 and foreign policy and passing hate crime legislation to address discrimination and violence against Asian Americans in a House panel Thursday."

"The barbed debate over racial justice is exploding this week on Capitol Hill, as Democrats in both chambers are charging ahead with a host of proposals to empower minorities amid the national clash over police bias, brutality and the future of law enforcement."

"Amid a rash of violent incidents aimed at Asian Americans Rep. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) on Tuesday spoke about the racism and xenophobia his family has personally experienced and said he has never felt this level of fear before in his life."

"The House of Representatives on Tuesday voted to remove all Confederate statues from public display in the U.S. Capitol along with replacing the bust of former Chief Justice of the United States Roger Taney author of the 1857 Dred Scott decision that declared that people of African descent were not U.S. citizens."

"Nationwide protests in response to the publication of video footage of a Minneapolis police officer pressing his knee into the neck of George Floyd leading to his death have generated renewed interest in the issue of reforming the policing practices of state and local officials. As discussed in more detail in this companion sidebar several existing federal laws seek to prevent and redress constitutional violations by state and local law enforcement officials. However because the Constitution generally grants states the authority to regulate issues of local concern—which includes policing and criminal law—Congress is limited in its ability to legislate on matters related to state and local law enforcement—limits that may inform any new laws Congress seeks to enact on this evolving issue. This Sidebar begins with an overview of Congress’s authority to enact legislation and the limits on those powers. It then discusses in more detail two of the enumerated powers—congressional powers that are found within the Constitution—that may be most relevant when Congress legislates on matters relating to state and local law enforcement."

"Survivors of the Tulsa Race Massacre described on Wednesday how the violence tore their lives and community apart 100 years ago and they urged a U.S. House subcommittee to help secure justice and financial compensation."

"On Sunday Rep. Justin Amash announced plans to introduce the Ending Qualified Immunity Act. Qualified immunity shields police officers from civil liability for violating a civilian's constitutional rights in most circumstances. Reforming it is an important step toward holding law enforcement accountable for abuse of power. But Congress must also act to address the less-well-known but equally pernicious rules governing municipal liability. It's time to hold local governments accountable for police violence."

"Lawmakers are unclear precisely what the intelligence community currently considers legal given the classified nature of the operations."

"On social media and in other communications they've been speaking out since the former president began calling covid-19 the China virus."

"President Joe Biden and two of his top cabinet members on Wednesday promised U.S. economic and criminal justice reforms that would benefit Black communities at a conference organized by longtime activist Al Sharpton."

"A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers on Thursday started talks on a police reform bill the day after Democratic President Joe Biden urged senators and representatives to act before the May 25 anniversary of George Floyd's murder by a Minneapolis policeman."

"Attorney General Merrick Garland on Tuesday was grilled by lawmakers on national security voting rights and the border during his first appearance on Capitol Hill since being sworn in as the nation's top law enforcement officer."

"The House fell short of passing legislation on Monday that would prohibit discrimination against people with hair styles associated with a particular race or national origin."

"To hold law enforcement accountable for misconduct in court improve transparency through data collection and reform police training and policies."

"This bill establishes the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African-Americans. The commission shall examine slavery and discrimination in the colonies and the United States from 1619 to the present and recommend appropriate remedies. Among other requirements the commission shall identify (1) the role of federal and state governments in supporting the institution of slavery (2) forms of discrimination in the public and private sectors against freed slaves and their descendants and (3) lingering negative effects of slavery on living African-Americans and society."

"We are rising up against all the ways that the criminal-legal system has harmed and failed to protect Black communities. The current moment requires a solution that fundamentally shifts how we envision community-care and invest in our society. History is clear that we cannot achieve genuine safety and liberation until we abandon police prisons and all punishment paradigms."

"Newly sworn-in Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) referred to President Trump as the 'white supremacist in chief' in her remarks on the House floor on Wednesday as the lower chamber prepares to impeach the president for a second time."

"NEW YORK (Reuters) - Civil rights group Muslim Advocates sued Facebook Inc and its top executives on Thursday alleging they misled the U.S. Congress and others by falsely claiming the company removes content that violates its policies."