A 27-year-old black woman, identified as&nbsp;Niani Finlayson, dialled the emergency helpline number 911 in Los Angeles, United States to report domestic violence on December 4. Responding to the distress call, the deputies of the Los Angeles County sheriff reached her house, however, the black woman was shot dead by the cops after a confrontation.

<h2>911 Distress Call</h2>

In a press release, the LA County Sheriff's Department said, “On December 4, 2023, at 6:08 p.m., Lancaster Station deputies responded to an apartment in the 2100 block of East Avenue J-8 in the city of Lancaster, regarding a domestic violence call. A female called 9-1-1 and reported that her boyfriend would not leave her alone and then screaming and sounds of a struggle could be heard.” 
 
After the LA County Sheriff's deputies reached the apartment in East Avenue, Lancaster, they heard people yelling and arguing. The police forced open the door and saw that the woman had a large kitchen knife in her hand.

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As per the police, the woman threatened to stab her boyfriend because he had pushed her nine-year-old daughter. It was further reported that she went inside the apartment where her boyfriend was sitting and “grabbed her boyfriend while holding the knife in an apparent attempt to stab him”. 
 
The confrontation led to a fatal shooting and the woman suffered multiple gunshot wounds while her daughter was in front of her. The woman was rushed to the hospital and she was declared dead. An investigation into the case is being carried out by the homicide investigators.

<h2>Family contest claims of police</h2>

The family's attorney, as reported by the Guardian, said that the woman had reported to the police that she was inside the house with her nine-year-old daughter and had suffered injuries by her ex-boyfriend and wanted him to be removed. 
 
In a press conference, her daughter Xaisha – who also witnessed the mother's shooting – said, “The police lied that my mom was threatening them.” She was accompanied by her grandparents and called for Shelton to be prosecuted.

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"She was my best friend. She was always there for me. It's unbelievable that she's gone and she's not coming back. I miss my mom," said the nine-year-old. 
 
The girl stated that her two-year-old sister has been asking about her mother and that she doesn't know how she should respond. 
 
A legal claim has been filed against the county and sheriff's department by her family alleging wrongful death, civil rights violations and assault and have initiated a $30,000 fundraiser in her memory.

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

A 27-year-old black woman, identified as Niani Finlayson, dialled the emergency helpline number 911 in Los Angeles, United States to report domestic violence on December 4.

A 27-year-old black woman, identified as Niani Finlayson, dialled the emergency helpline number 911 in Los Angeles, United States to report domestic violence on December 4. Responding to the distress call, the deputies of the Los Angeles County sheriff reached her house, however, the black woman was shot dead by the cops after a confrontation. 911 Distress Call In a press release, the LA County Sheriff's Department said, “On December 4, 2023, at 6:08 p.m., Lancaster Station deputies responded to an apartment in the 2100 block of East Avenue J-8 in the city of Lancaster, regarding a domestic violence call. A female called 9-1-1 and reported that her boyfriend would not leave her alone and then screaming and sounds of a struggle could be heard.” After the LA County Sheriff's deputies reached the apartment in East Avenue, Lancaster, they heard people yelling and arguing. The police forced open the door and saw that the woman had a large kitchen knife in her hand. Also read: US: Supreme Court refuses to hear Trump immunity case, delaying trial As per the police, the woman threatened to stab her boyfriend because he had pushed her nine-year-old daughter. It was further reported that she went inside the apartment where her boyfriend was sitting and “grabbed her boyfriend while holding the knife in an apparent attempt to stab him”. The confrontation led to a fatal shooting and the woman suffered multiple gunshot wounds while her daughter was in front of her. The woman was rushed to the hospital and she was declared dead. An investigation into the case is being carried out by the homicide investigators. Family contest claims of police The family's attorney, as reported by the Guardian, said that the woman had reported to the police that she was inside the house with her nine-year-old daughter and had suffered injuries by her ex-boyfriend and wanted him to be removed. In a press conference, her daughter Xaisha – who also witnessed the mother's shooting – said, “The police lied that my mom was threatening them.” She was accompanied by her grandparents and called for Shelton to be prosecuted. Watch: US announces Naval 20-country coalition to defend Red Sea "She was my best friend. She was always there for me. It's unbelievable that she's gone and she's not coming back. I miss my mom," said the nine-year-old. The girl stated that her two-year-old sister has been asking about her mother and that she doesn't know how she should respond. A legal claim has been filed against the county and sheriff's department by her family alleging wrongful death, civil rights violations and assault and have initiated a $30,000 fundraiser in her memory. (With inputs from agencies)

US: Police shoot black woman wielding knife after she dials 911 to report domestic violence

The police authorities in Ohio, United States shared bodycam footage in which an officer can be clearly seen fatally shooting a pregnant Black woman. 
 
Ta'Kiya Young, aged 21, lost her life on August 24 when she was shot by a police officer while she was in her car outside a Kroger grocery store in Blendon Township, which is a suburb of Columbus. 
 
In the footage, officers can be seen trying to question the woman for her alleged shoplifting. In the video which was released on Friday, one officer is standing in front of her car and directly firing towards her as she tries to drive in his direction.

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US police have released bodycam footage showing the fatal shooting of a young pregnant Black woman in the state of Ohio. 
 
The woman's unborn daughter was also killed. 
 
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The two officers were seen interacting with Young for almost a minute. One officer can be seen standing at her car's door and continuously asking her to "get out of the car".

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"For what?" responded the woman twice, further saying, "I'm not going to do that." One police officer, who is in front of the car and has placed his left hand on the hood, takes out the gun with his other hand. 
 
"Are you going to shoot me?," the woman says moments before the shot is fired at her and the officer quickly moves away from the path of the car. Officers can then be seen breaking the car's window after it rolls into the brick wall near the store's entrance.

<h2>Police fail to save the mother and her unborn child</h2>

The police officers claimed that they tried to perform medical aid, however, they failed to save the mother of two and her unborn child after the shooting. 
 
"This was a tragedy. Ms Young's family is understandably very upset and grieving," said Blendon Police Chief John Belford in a statement on Friday. "While none of us can fully understand the depths of their pain, all of us can remember them in our prayers and give them the time and space to deal with this heartbreaking turn of events,” he added.

WATCH |&nbsp;US: 3 people killed in ‘racially motivated’ shooting in Florida

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Both the officers seen in the video, who have not been identified, were placed on administrative leave after the incident of shooting. The officer who was present near the window of the car came back to duty, however, the one who fired a shot at her remains on leave. 
 
The family of Young first saw the video before it was released on Friday. The family, in a statement, said that the shooting "is clearly a criminal act" and was "avoidable". 
 
Ohio Attorney General's Bureau of Criminal Investigation has been asked by the Blendon Township police department to investigate the shooting.

(With inputs from agencies)

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The police authorities in Ohio, United States shared bodycam footage in which an officer can be clearly seen fatally shooting a pregnant Black woman. Ta'Kiya Young, aged 21, lost her life on August 24 when she was shot by a police officer while she was in her car outside a Kroger grocery store in Blendon Township, which is a suburb of Columbus.

The police authorities in Ohio, United States shared bodycam footage in which an officer can be clearly seen fatally shooting a pregnant Black woman. Ta'Kiya Young, aged 21, lost her life on August 24 when she was shot by a police officer while she was in her car outside a Kroger grocery store in Blendon Township, which is a suburb of Columbus. In the footage, officers can be seen trying to question the woman for her alleged shoplifting. In the video which was released on Friday, one officer is standing in front of her car and directly firing towards her as she tries to drive in his direction. US police have released bodycam footage showing the fatal shooting of a young pregnant Black woman in the state of Ohio. The woman's unborn daughter was also killed. Follow us on Telegram: https://t.co/0EMmcJs6DL pic.twitter.com/fFcj8dbhmZ — PressTV Extra (@PresstvExtra) September 1, 2023 × The two officers were seen interacting with Young for almost a minute. One officer can be seen standing at her car's door and continuously asking her to "get out of the car". ALSO READ | Shooting suspect among two killed, three injured after shooting in Texas "For what?" responded the woman twice, further saying, "I'm not going to do that." One police officer, who is in front of the car and has placed his left hand on the hood, takes out the gun with his other hand. "Are you going to shoot me?," the woman says moments before the shot is fired at her and the officer quickly moves away from the path of the car. Officers can then be seen breaking the car's window after it rolls into the brick wall near the store's entrance. Police fail to save the mother and her unborn child The police officers claimed that they tried to perform medical aid, however, they failed to save the mother of two and her unborn child after the shooting. "This was a tragedy. Ms Young's family is understandably very upset and grieving," said Blendon Police Chief John Belford in a statement on Friday. "While none of us can fully understand the depths of their pain, all of us can remember them in our prayers and give them the time and space to deal with this heartbreaking turn of events,” he added. WATCH | US: 3 people killed in ‘racially motivated’ shooting in Florida Both the officers seen in the video, who have not been identified, were placed on administrative leave after the incident of shooting. The officer who was present near the window of the car came back to duty, however, the one who fired a shot at her remains on leave. The family of Young first saw the video before it was released on Friday. The family, in a statement, said that the shooting "is clearly a criminal act" and was "avoidable". Ohio Attorney General's Bureau of Criminal Investigation has been asked by the Blendon Township police department to investigate the shooting. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Watch | Bodycam captures police fatally shooting pregnant Black woman in Ohio

A 32-year-old pregnant woman from the US city of Detroit has sued the city and a police officer for wrongfully arresting her for a crime she did not even commit.

The African American woman has claimed that the city’s unreliable facial recognition technology led to her arrest as a robbery and carjacking suspect while she was eight months pregnant.

Porcha Woodruff filed a lawsuit on Thursday (Aug 3) in US District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan saying that the entire episode has left her scared, humiliated and her pregnancy jeopardised. She is seeking $25 million in damages.

She was arrested from her home in February by six police officers when she was readying her two young children—ages 6 and 12—for school.

<h2>Arrested from home</h2>

The lawsuit accuses police of using "unreliable facial recognition" software to connect Woodruff to the crime.&nbsp;

“Are you kidding, carjacking? Do you see that I am eight months pregnant?” she&nbsp;told one of the arresting officers, according to the lawsuit.

According to Woodruff, she was taken to a detention centre and kept there for 11 hours. The armed robbery had taken place several weeks earlier.

“This case highlights the significant flaws associated with using facial recognition technology to identify criminal suspects,”&nbsp;her lawsuit states.

“Despite its potential, law enforcement’s reliance on facial recognition has led to wrongful arrests, causing humiliation, embarrassment, and physical injury, as evident in this particular incident.”

<h2>Third incident&nbsp;</h2>

The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan, an NGO, has now called on the Detroit Police Department to junk the use of facial recognition technology.

It claimed that it is the third known allegation of a wrongful arrest by Detroit police based on the technology.

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In 2021, Robert Williams, a Black man, sued Detroit police after he was arrested when facial recognition technology mistakenly identified him as a suspected shoplifter.

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Another Black man, Michael Oliver, sued the city the same year claiming that his false arrest because of the technology in 2019 led him to lose his job.

Meanwhile, Detroit Police Chief James E White in a statement said that the allegations contained in the lawsuit are “deeply concerning” and the department is “taking this matter very seriously.” Additional investigation is needed, White said.

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A 32-year-old pregnant woman from the US city of Detroit has sued the city and a police officer for wrongfully arresting her for a crime she did not even commit.

A 32-year-old pregnant woman from the US city of Detroit has sued the city and a police officer for wrongfully arresting her for a crime she did not even commit. The African American woman has claimed that the city’s unreliable facial recognition technology led to her arrest as a robbery and carjacking suspect while she was eight months pregnant. Porcha Woodruff filed a lawsuit on Thursday (Aug 3) in US District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan saying that the entire episode has left her scared, humiliated and her pregnancy jeopardised. She is seeking $25 million in damages. She was arrested from her home in February by six police officers when she was readying her two young children—ages 6 and 12—for school. Arrested from home The lawsuit accuses police of using "unreliable facial recognition" software to connect Woodruff to the crime. “Are you kidding, carjacking? Do you see that I am eight months pregnant?” she told one of the arresting officers, according to the lawsuit. According to Woodruff, she was taken to a detention centre and kept there for 11 hours. The armed robbery had taken place several weeks earlier. “This case highlights the significant flaws associated with using facial recognition technology to identify criminal suspects,” her lawsuit states. “Despite its potential, law enforcement’s reliance on facial recognition has led to wrongful arrests, causing humiliation, embarrassment, and physical injury, as evident in this particular incident.” Third incident The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan, an NGO, has now called on the Detroit Police Department to junk the use of facial recognition technology. It claimed that it is the third known allegation of a wrongful arrest by Detroit police based on the technology. Also read | Newly-discovered skull in China baffles scientists. Is it yet another lineage of humans? In 2021, Robert Williams, a Black man, sued Detroit police after he was arrested when facial recognition technology mistakenly identified him as a suspected shoplifter. Also read | Too drunk to drive back home? Italian government will offer a free taxi ride Another Black man, Michael Oliver, sued the city the same year claiming that his false arrest because of the technology in 2019 led him to lose his job. Meanwhile, Detroit Police Chief James E White in a statement said that the allegations contained in the lawsuit are “deeply concerning” and the department is “taking this matter very seriously.” Additional investigation is needed, White said. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Pregnant woman sues Detroit city after 'unreliable' facial recognition leads to false arrest

The United States of America got its first black woman judge in Supreme Court. Ketanji Brown Jackson was confirmed to the Supreme Court by US Senate. This is happening for the first time over 200-year history of US Supreme Court.

5 things about Ketanji Brown Jackson as US Supreme Court gets first black woman judge

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson becomes the first black woman on US Supreme Court. US President Joe Biden hailed her confirmation.

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson becomes 1st black woman on US Supreme Court

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is expected to be confirmed to the Supreme Court by the US Senate today.

When she is sworn in this summer, Jackson will be the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States.

Jackson's confirmation is expected to receive votes from all 50 Senate Democrats, as well as the two independents who are part of their caucus.

At least three Republicans will join them: Utah Senator Mitt Romney, Maine Senator Susan Collins, and Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski.&nbsp;

Judge Jackson is a Harvard Law School and Harvard Association graduate.

Her nomination also brought attention to the fact that black women are underrepresented in the legal profession.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/black-lives-matter-leaders-used-6-million-donation-to-buy-luxury-mansion-in-us-report-468649">Also read | Black Lives Matter leaders used $6 million donation to buy luxury mansion in US: Report</a>

Only 4.7 percent of lawyers are African-American, and only 70 Black women have ever served as federal judges, accounting for less than 2% of all federal judges.

About 4.8 percent of individuals enrolled in Harvard's law department, or 84 people, identified as black women as of October, compared to only 33 black women in 1996, when Judge Jackson graduated.

Republican senators grilled her for more than 22 hours over two days about the sentences she has handed down to child pornography offenders during her nine years as a federal judge, her legal advocacy on behalf of terror suspects at Guantanamo Bay, her thoughts on critical race theory, and even her religious beliefs.

When asked if she would recuse herself from a matter involving affirmative action at Harvard University, where she now serves on the Board of Overseers, Jackson indicated she would.

When Texas Senator Ted Cruz asked her about it, she replied, "That's my plan."&nbsp;

US President Biden made a significant campaign pledge to name the first Black woman to the Supreme Court, and Jackson's confirmation fulfils that commitment.

Jackson, 51, worked as a federal trial court judge for eight years before being confirmed to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia in June.

Jackson worked as a public defender before becoming a judge.

If confirmed, Jackson will be the first Supreme Court justice to represent indigent criminal defendants since Thurgood Marshall.

(With inputs from agencies)

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is expected to be confirmed to the Supreme Court by the US Senate today. When she is sworn in this summer, Jackson will be the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States.

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is expected to be confirmed to the Supreme Court by the US Senate today. When she is sworn in this summer, Jackson will be the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States. Jackson's confirmation is expected to receive votes from all 50 Senate Democrats, as well as the two independents who are part of their caucus. At least three Republicans will join them: Utah Senator Mitt Romney, Maine Senator Susan Collins, and Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski. Judge Jackson is a Harvard Law School and Harvard Association graduate. Her nomination also brought attention to the fact that black women are underrepresented in the legal profession. Also read | Black Lives Matter leaders used $6 million donation to buy luxury mansion in US: Report Only 4.7 percent of lawyers are African-American, and only 70 Black women have ever served as federal judges, accounting for less than 2% of all federal judges. About 4.8 percent of individuals enrolled in Harvard's law department, or 84 people, identified as black women as of October, compared to only 33 black women in 1996, when Judge Jackson graduated. Republican senators grilled her for more than 22 hours over two days about the sentences she has handed down to child pornography offenders during her nine years as a federal judge, her legal advocacy on behalf of terror suspects at Guantanamo Bay, her thoughts on critical race theory, and even her religious beliefs. When asked if she would recuse herself from a matter involving affirmative action at Harvard University, where she now serves on the Board of Overseers, Jackson indicated she would. When Texas Senator Ted Cruz asked her about it, she replied, "That's my plan." US President Biden made a significant campaign pledge to name the first Black woman to the Supreme Court, and Jackson's confirmation fulfils that commitment. Jackson, 51, worked as a federal trial court judge for eight years before being confirmed to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia in June. Jackson worked as a public defender before becoming a judge. If confirmed, Jackson will be the first Supreme Court justice to represent indigent criminal defendants since Thurgood Marshall. (With inputs from agencies)

Ketanji Brown Jackson: The first Black woman to be US Supreme Court judge

As President Joe Biden prepares to nominate the first Black woman to the&nbsp;Supreme&nbsp;Court, several leading candidates for the coveted seat on the nation's highest&nbsp;court&nbsp;have emerged.

The Democratic president has said he will reveal his choice by the end of February, and has interviewed three potential nominees so far according to US media.

The White House has been tight-lipped about the search for a justice to replace Justice Stephen Breyer, 83, a liberal stalwart who plans to retire in June at the end of the&nbsp;court's current term.

"The president has not made a decision about who he is going to nominate," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on Tuesday.

"I'm not -- still not -- going to get into details about the internal process," Psaki said.

The selection of a&nbsp;Supreme&nbsp;Court&nbsp;justice involves extensive background checks to prevent unwelcome surprises during Senate nomination hearings.

There have been two African-American&nbsp;Supreme&nbsp;Court&nbsp;justices: Thurgood Marshall, who served from 1967 to 1991, and Clarence Thomas, a conservative who succeeded Marshall and remains on the bench.

The following are reported to be at the top of the list for the seat on the nation's highest&nbsp;court:

Ketanji Brown Jackson

Ketanji Brown Jackson, 51, a judge on the US Circuit&nbsp;Court&nbsp;of Appeals, does not have a background typical of other nominees.

While many judges have made their mark as prosecutors, Jackson spent two years as a federal public defender representing indigent defendants.

She has also served on the US Sentencing Commission, an independent agency created by Congress to address sentencing disparities.

And Jackson has personal experience with the harsh sentences meted out for drug crimes in the United States -- an uncle was sentenced to life in prison in 1989 for cocaine possession.

After graduation, she worked for a series of elite law firms in Boston and Washington, and as a law clerk for Breyer.

Jackson was nominated to be a US District&nbsp;Court&nbsp;judge by former president Barack Obama in 2013 and to the US&nbsp;Court&nbsp;of Appeals for the DC Circuit by Biden in March 2021.

Her most notable ruling came in 2019 when she said a former White House counsel to president Donald Trump had to obey a congressional subpoena.

"Presidents are not kings," Jackson wrote.

Jackson is married to a surgeon. They have two daughters.

Michelle Childs

Michelle Childs, 55, an expert in labor law, is the first Black woman to become a partner in a major law firm in her home state of South Carolina.

Most&nbsp;Supreme&nbsp;Court&nbsp;justices are products of Ivy League schools such as Harvard or Yale but Childs earned her law degree from the University of South Carolina.

Her South Carolina ties could prove decisive in securing her a place on the nine-member&nbsp;court.

Childs enjoys the backing of Jim Clyburn, a powerful Black congressman from South Carolina whose support helped Biden win the state's Democratic presidential primary and propel him to the White House.

Childs also has the vocal support of an influential Republican senator, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.

Born in Detroit, Childs moved to South Carolina with her mother when she was 14 after her parents divorced.

Her father, a police officer, stayed in Detroit and died shortly afterwards of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Childs earned a full scholarship to the University of South Florida and won the Miss Black Florida beauty pageant in 1986.

She became a US District Judge in 2009 and was nominated to the US&nbsp;Court&nbsp;of Appeals for the DC Circuit by Biden in December.

Childs' candidacy has come under fire from some on the left because of her past representation of management against employees.

Childs is married to a gastroenterologist. They have a daughter.

Leondra Kruger&nbsp;

Leondra Kruger, 45, has had a meteoric rise through the judicial ranks and, if named to the&nbsp;court, would be the youngest of the justices on the bench.

Kruger graduated with honors from Harvard and earned her law degree at Yale, where she was the first Black editor-in-chief of the Yale Law Journal.

At the age of 31, Kruger went to work for the US Solicitor General's office in the Obama administration, representing the federal government in 12 cases before the&nbsp;Supreme&nbsp;Court.

When she was just 38, Kruger was nominated to the California&nbsp;Supreme&nbsp;Court&nbsp;although she had no experience as a judge.

Kruger has forged a reputation as a moderate progressive and pragmatic justice.

Kruger grew up in the suburbs of Los Angeles, the daughter of two doctors. Her mother is of Jamaican origin and her father, who died in 2005, was from a family of European Jewish immigrants.

She&nbsp;worked for a private law firm in Washington and then as a law clerk, notably to&nbsp;Supreme&nbsp;Court&nbsp;Justice John Paul Stevens.

After Biden entered the White House, he reportedly asked Kruger on two occasions to return to Washington to become the solicitor general but she declined.

Kruger is married to a fellow lawyer. They have two children.

As President Joe Biden prepares to nominate the first Black woman to the Supreme Court, several leading candidates for the coveted seat on the nation's highest court have emerged.

As President Joe Biden prepares to nominate the first Black woman to the Supreme Court, several leading candidates for the coveted seat on the nation's highest court have emerged. The Democratic president has said he will reveal his choice by the end of February, and has interviewed three potential nominees so far according to US media. The White House has been tight-lipped about the search for a justice to replace Justice Stephen Breyer, 83, a liberal stalwart who plans to retire in June at the end of the court's current term. "The president has not made a decision about who he is going to nominate," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on Tuesday. "I'm not -- still not -- going to get into details about the internal process," Psaki said. The selection of a Supreme Court justice involves extensive background checks to prevent unwelcome surprises during Senate nomination hearings. There have been two African-American Supreme Court justices: Thurgood Marshall, who served from 1967 to 1991, and Clarence Thomas, a conservative who succeeded Marshall and remains on the bench. The following are reported to be at the top of the list for the seat on the nation's highest court: Ketanji Brown Jackson Ketanji Brown Jackson, 51, a judge on the US Circuit Court of Appeals, does not have a background typical of other nominees. While many judges have made their mark as prosecutors, Jackson spent two years as a federal public defender representing indigent defendants. She has also served on the US Sentencing Commission, an independent agency created by Congress to address sentencing disparities. And Jackson has personal experience with the harsh sentences meted out for drug crimes in the United States -- an uncle was sentenced to life in prison in 1989 for cocaine possession. After graduation, she worked for a series of elite law firms in Boston and Washington, and as a law clerk for Breyer. Jackson was nominated to be a US District Court judge by former president Barack Obama in 2013 and to the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit by Biden in March 2021. Her most notable ruling came in 2019 when she said a former White House counsel to president Donald Trump had to obey a congressional subpoena. "Presidents are not kings," Jackson wrote. Jackson is married to a surgeon. They have two daughters. Michelle Childs Michelle Childs, 55, an expert in labor law, is the first Black woman to become a partner in a major law firm in her home state of South Carolina. Most Supreme Court justices are products of Ivy League schools such as Harvard or Yale but Childs earned her law degree from the University of South Carolina. Her South Carolina ties could prove decisive in securing her a place on the nine-member court. Childs enjoys the backing of Jim Clyburn, a powerful Black congressman from South Carolina whose support helped Biden win the state's Democratic presidential primary and propel him to the White House. Childs also has the vocal support of an influential Republican senator, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. Born in Detroit, Childs moved to South Carolina with her mother when she was 14 after her parents divorced. Her father, a police officer, stayed in Detroit and died shortly afterwards of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Childs earned a full scholarship to the University of South Florida and won the Miss Black Florida beauty pageant in 1986. She became a US District Judge in 2009 and was nominated to the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit by Biden in December. Childs' candidacy has come under fire from some on the left because of her past representation of management against employees. Childs is married to a gastroenterologist. They have a daughter. Leondra Kruger Leondra Kruger, 45, has had a meteoric rise through the judicial ranks and, if named to the court, would be the youngest of the justices on the bench. Kruger graduated with honors from Harvard and earned her law degree at Yale, where she was the first Black editor-in-chief of the Yale Law Journal. At the age of 31, Kruger went to work for the US Solicitor General's office in the Obama administration, representing the federal government in 12 cases before the Supreme Court. When she was just 38, Kruger was nominated to the California Supreme Court although she had no experience as a judge. Kruger has forged a reputation as a moderate progressive and pragmatic justice. Kruger grew up in the suburbs of Los Angeles, the daughter of two doctors. Her mother is of Jamaican origin and her father, who died in 2005, was from a family of European Jewish immigrants. She worked for a private law firm in Washington and then as a law clerk, notably to Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens. After Biden entered the White House, he reportedly asked Kruger on two occasions to return to Washington to become the solicitor general but she declined. Kruger is married to a fellow lawyer. They have two children.

Biden poised to nominate first Black woman on Supreme Court

President Joe Biden and his legal team have spent a year preparing for this moment: the chance to make good on his pledge to name the first Black woman to the Supreme Court at a time of continuing racial reckoning for the country.

The decision by Justice Stephen G. Breyer to retire will give Biden his most high-profile opportunity since taking office to reshape the federal judiciary, having already nominated dozens of district and appeals court judges from a range of racial, ethnic and legal backgrounds.

His promise also underscores how much Black women have struggled to become part of a very small pool of elite judges in the nation’s higher federal courts. Speculation on Wednesday focused on a rarefied group of well-credentialed Black women who have elite educations and experience on the bench.

The short list included Ketanji Brown Jackson, a 51-year-old judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit who graduated from Harvard Law School and clerked for Breyer, and Leondra R. Kruger, a 45-year-old justice on the California Supreme Court who graduated from Yale Law School and clerked for former Justice John Paul Stevens.

J. Michelle Childs, 55, a little-known U.S. District Court judge in South Carolina whom Biden recently nominated for an appeals court, is also seen as a potential contender. One of Biden’s top congressional allies, Rep. James E. Clyburn of South Carolina, told Biden during the presidential campaign that he believed she should be appointed, in part because she came from a blue-collar background, another underrepresented group among federal judges.

Jackson and Kruger attended Ivy League law schools, unlike Childs, who attended the University of South Carolina. And while there are some differences in the women’s backgrounds and experience, they are united in being among a relative handful of Black women who have the kind of credentials normally considered qualifications for the Supreme Court.

The first Black woman to serve as a federal appeals court judge — an experience that in the modern era is usually a key credential in becoming a justice — was appointed by President Gerald R. Ford in 1975. By the time Biden took office more than 40 years later, only seven more had served in such a position.

“If you just look at the raw numbers, it’s a telling and a sobering statistic,” said Leslie D. Davis, the chief executive of the National Association of Minority and Women Owned Law Firms. “That makes it clear that we must do better.”

Biden has said he hopes the diversity he has brought to the high ranks of the federal government will be a centerpiece of his legacy. In addition to his record on judgeships, his decision to pick Kamala Harris as his running mate during the 2020 campaign led to her becoming the first Black woman to serve as vice president.

Half of Biden’s first 16 nominees for federal appeals courts have been Black women — as many as all previous presidents combined had appointed. That emphasis has attracted scrutiny from across the ideological spectrum. For Davis, the important point of comparison is how few Black women had previously been appointed to the federal bench.

“It’s a story that Black women’s voices have not been appreciated,” she said, “that their perspectives have not been valued, and their voices have not been heard.”

But conservatives like the National Review legal commentator Ed Whelan have pointed out that the number of Black women Biden has nominated is strikingly disproportionate to the available pool of Black women with law degrees.

According to a 2021 profile of the legal profession by the American Bar Association, just 4.7% of American lawyers are Black and 37% of lawyers are female. The report did not break out Black women in particular, but the implication is that roughly 2% of American lawyers are both Black and female.

“By Biden’s declared standard of demographic diversity, his first year of judicial nominations has clearly been a remarkable success,” Whelan wrote this month, calling Biden’s record on appointing Black women “extraordinary” while also taking “some delight in noting” that liberal white males, with just two appellate nomination slots so far, were “the big losers.”

Biden made his promise to name a Black woman to the Supreme Court at a debate in February 2020, just days before facing his Democratic rivals in the South Carolina primary, where Black people make up a large portion of the party’s voters. At the time, his campaign was struggling amid losses in two of the early presidential contests.

“I’m looking forward to making sure there’s a Black woman on the Supreme Court to make sure we in fact get everyone represented,” Biden said that night.

The promise helped Biden secure the support of Clyburn just days before the party’s contest in South Carolina.

“I have three daughters,” Clyburn told Bloomberg. “I think I would be less than a good dad if I did not say to the president-to-be, this is an issue that is simmering in the African American community, that Black women think they have as much right to sit on the Supreme Court as any other women, and up to that point none had been considered.”

Biden went on to win the South Carolina primary, proving the durability of his support among Black voters and setting in motion a string of victories on Super Tuesday a short time later.

Biden's Supreme Court selection will take place in a country still feeling the reverberations of the police killing of George Floyd in 2020 and subsequent mass protests over racial justice.

It also would come as the conservative-dominated court agreed this week to hear cases challenging race-conscious college admissions programs, raising the possibility that it may ban affirmative action policies aimed at maintaining racial diversity.

Biden’s political support has been especially strong among Black women. New York Times exit polling data from the 2020 election showed that while they made up just 8% of the electorate, they were Biden’s most lopsided supporters: 90% of Black female voters cast their ballots for him.

And in Georgia, Biden’s win was followed by Democrats sweeping a pair of crucial runoff elections for Senate seats that gave the party razor-thin control of the Senate — and with it the ability to confirm judges without needing any Republican support.

Several factors went into those narrow wins that flipped the state blue, but one was that a group of Black female organizers — most famously Stacey Abrams, the former candidate for governor who founded a voter registration group called the New Georgia Project — had been working to register hundreds of thousands new voters and encourage them to turn out.

For Democrats, maintaining enthusiastic support among Black voters, and especially Black women, may be critical in November’s midterm elections. Democratic activists urged Biden on Wednesday not to back down from his promise.

“There would be little to no rationale for President Biden to miss this opportunity,” Aimee Allison, the president of She the People, a liberal advocacy group, said in a statement. “It is and could be a defining moment for his presidency.”

Polls show Democrats trailing in their efforts to keep control of the House and the Senate, and Biden has had a rocky first year, in part because the Senate filibuster rule means Republicans can block much of his agenda, like passage of a social spending bill and an expansion of federal protections for voting rights.

But since the Senate abolished the filibuster for judges — Democrats did so for lower and appellate court judges in 2013, and Republicans did so for Supreme Court justices in 2017 — a party that controls both the White House and the Senate by any margin can appoint life-tenured federal judges, including to fill any vacancies among the 179 federal appellate seats.

In April, when Biden announced his first three appeals court nominees, all three were Black women with Ivy League educations, including Jackson. Two more of the next 10 appellate judges he appointed are also Black women. And of his six appellate nominees still pending before the Senate, three are Black women.

Biden’s decision to use his power to place numerous Black women on the bench — as well as in district court judgeships and high-profile roles in the executive branch — is transformative considering the many decades during which they have rarely exercised power in the legal system.

The history of Black female judges mirrors the larger story of African Americans since the Civil War, according to a 2010 article in the Howard Law Journal by Anna Blackburne-Rigsby, who is the chief judge of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals.

“Black women judges came to the ‘judicial’ table much later than Black men (by more than 80 years) and also much later than white women (by almost 60 years),” she wrote in the article, “Black Women Judges: The Historical Journey of Black Women to the Nation’s Highest Courts.”

New York City did not have its first Black female judge until 1939, when Jane Matilda Bolin was appointed to the Domestic Relations Court, Blackburne-Rigsby wrote, adding that when the city’s mayor, Fiorello H. LaGuardia, appointed Bolin, he first consulted her husband — a sign of the times and of the limits placed on Black women in the court system.

Blackburne-Rigsby declined to comment Wednesday. But in her article, she sounded a note of caution about viewing that demographic’s slow rise to judicial power as a matter of numbers alone.

“Being both Black and female brings an important additional voice to the deliberative process,” she wrote, “but that voice is varied because there is no singular ‘Black woman’ perspective.”

Even after the civil rights movement in the 1960s, which included President Lyndon B. Johnson’s appointment of Thurgood Marshall as the first Black Supreme Court justice in 1967, Black women’s access to the levers of judicial power remained limited.

In 1966, Johnson had also appointed the first Black female federal judge — Constance Baker Motley, whom he placed in the Southern District of New York.

And in the years that followed, Motley was sometimes mentioned as a potential future Supreme Court justice, said Tomiko Brown-Nagin, a Harvard legal historian who published a biography of the judge this week, “Civil Rights Queen.”

But Brown-Nagin, who is also the dean of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, said that while Motley was “eminently qualified” for elevation, her political window closed: As a former civil rights lawyer, she was seen as a liberal, and from 1969 until 1993, there was no Supreme Court vacancy while a Democrat was president.

“This appointment has been a long time coming,” Brown-Nagin said.

President Joe Biden and his legal team have spent a year preparing for this moment: the chance to make good on his pledge to name the first Black woman to the Supreme Court at a time of continuing racial reckoning for the country.

President Joe Biden and his legal team have spent a year preparing for this moment: the chance to make good on his pledge to name the first Black woman to the Supreme Court at a time of continuing racial reckoning for the country. The decision by Justice Stephen G. Breyer to retire will give Biden his most high-profile opportunity since taking office to reshape the federal judiciary, having already nominated dozens of district and appeals court judges from a range of racial, ethnic and legal backgrounds. His promise also underscores how much Black women have struggled to become part of a very small pool of elite judges in the nation’s higher federal courts. Speculation on Wednesday focused on a rarefied group of well-credentialed Black women who have elite educations and experience on the bench. The short list included Ketanji Brown Jackson, a 51-year-old judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit who graduated from Harvard Law School and clerked for Breyer, and Leondra R. Kruger, a 45-year-old justice on the California Supreme Court who graduated from Yale Law School and clerked for former Justice John Paul Stevens. J. Michelle Childs, 55, a little-known U.S. District Court judge in South Carolina whom Biden recently nominated for an appeals court, is also seen as a potential contender. One of Biden’s top congressional allies, Rep. James E. Clyburn of South Carolina, told Biden during the presidential campaign that he believed she should be appointed, in part because she came from a blue-collar background, another underrepresented group among federal judges. Jackson and Kruger attended Ivy League law schools, unlike Childs, who attended the University of South Carolina. And while there are some differences in the women’s backgrounds and experience, they are united in being among a relative handful of Black women who have the kind of credentials normally considered qualifications for the Supreme Court. The first Black woman to serve as a federal appeals court judge — an experience that in the modern era is usually a key credential in becoming a justice — was appointed by President Gerald R. Ford in 1975. By the time Biden took office more than 40 years later, only seven more had served in such a position. “If you just look at the raw numbers, it’s a telling and a sobering statistic,” said Leslie D. Davis, the chief executive of the National Association of Minority and Women Owned Law Firms. “That makes it clear that we must do better.” Biden has said he hopes the diversity he has brought to the high ranks of the federal government will be a centerpiece of his legacy. In addition to his record on judgeships, his decision to pick Kamala Harris as his running mate during the 2020 campaign led to her becoming the first Black woman to serve as vice president. Half of Biden’s first 16 nominees for federal appeals courts have been Black women — as many as all previous presidents combined had appointed. That emphasis has attracted scrutiny from across the ideological spectrum. For Davis, the important point of comparison is how few Black women had previously been appointed to the federal bench. “It’s a story that Black women’s voices have not been appreciated,” she said, “that their perspectives have not been valued, and their voices have not been heard.” But conservatives like the National Review legal commentator Ed Whelan have pointed out that the number of Black women Biden has nominated is strikingly disproportionate to the available pool of Black women with law degrees. According to a 2021 profile of the legal profession by the American Bar Association, just 4.7% of American lawyers are Black and 37% of lawyers are female. The report did not break out Black women in particular, but the implication is that roughly 2% of American lawyers are both Black and female. “By Biden’s declared standard of demographic diversity, his first year of judicial nominations has clearly been a remarkable success,” Whelan wrote this month, calling Biden’s record on appointing Black women “extraordinary” while also taking “some delight in noting” that liberal white males, with just two appellate nomination slots so far, were “the big losers.” Biden made his promise to name a Black woman to the Supreme Court at a debate in February 2020, just days before facing his Democratic rivals in the South Carolina primary, where Black people make up a large portion of the party’s voters. At the time, his campaign was struggling amid losses in two of the early presidential contests. “I’m looking forward to making sure there’s a Black woman on the Supreme Court to make sure we in fact get everyone represented,” Biden said that night. The promise helped Biden secure the support of Clyburn just days before the party’s contest in South Carolina. “I have three daughters,” Clyburn told Bloomberg. “I think I would be less than a good dad if I did not say to the president-to-be, this is an issue that is simmering in the African American community, that Black women think they have as much right to sit on the Supreme Court as any other women, and up to that point none had been considered.” Biden went on to win the South Carolina primary, proving the durability of his support among Black voters and setting in motion a string of victories on Super Tuesday a short time later. Biden's Supreme Court selection will take place in a country still feeling the reverberations of the police killing of George Floyd in 2020 and subsequent mass protests over racial justice. It also would come as the conservative-dominated court agreed this week to hear cases challenging race-conscious college admissions programs, raising the possibility that it may ban affirmative action policies aimed at maintaining racial diversity. Biden’s political support has been especially strong among Black women. New York Times exit polling data from the 2020 election showed that while they made up just 8% of the electorate, they were Biden’s most lopsided supporters: 90% of Black female voters cast their ballots for him. And in Georgia, Biden’s win was followed by Democrats sweeping a pair of crucial runoff elections for Senate seats that gave the party razor-thin control of the Senate — and with it the ability to confirm judges without needing any Republican support. Several factors went into those narrow wins that flipped the state blue, but one was that a group of Black female organizers — most famously Stacey Abrams, the former candidate for governor who founded a voter registration group called the New Georgia Project — had been working to register hundreds of thousands new voters and encourage them to turn out. For Democrats, maintaining enthusiastic support among Black voters, and especially Black women, may be critical in November’s midterm elections. Democratic activists urged Biden on Wednesday not to back down from his promise. “There would be little to no rationale for President Biden to miss this opportunity,” Aimee Allison, the president of She the People, a liberal advocacy group, said in a statement. “It is and could be a defining moment for his presidency.” Polls show Democrats trailing in their efforts to keep control of the House and the Senate, and Biden has had a rocky first year, in part because the Senate filibuster rule means Republicans can block much of his agenda, like passage of a social spending bill and an expansion of federal protections for voting rights. But since the Senate abolished the filibuster for judges — Democrats did so for lower and appellate court judges in 2013, and Republicans did so for Supreme Court justices in 2017 — a party that controls both the White House and the Senate by any margin can appoint life-tenured federal judges, including to fill any vacancies among the 179 federal appellate seats. In April, when Biden announced his first three appeals court nominees, all three were Black women with Ivy League educations, including Jackson. Two more of the next 10 appellate judges he appointed are also Black women. And of his six appellate nominees still pending before the Senate, three are Black women. Biden’s decision to use his power to place numerous Black women on the bench — as well as in district court judgeships and high-profile roles in the executive branch — is transformative considering the many decades during which they have rarely exercised power in the legal system. The history of Black female judges mirrors the larger story of African Americans since the Civil War, according to a 2010 article in the Howard Law Journal by Anna Blackburne-Rigsby, who is the chief judge of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. “Black women judges came to the ‘judicial’ table much later than Black men (by more than 80 years) and also much later than white women (by almost 60 years),” she wrote in the article, “Black Women Judges: The Historical Journey of Black Women to the Nation’s Highest Courts.” New York City did not have its first Black female judge until 1939, when Jane Matilda Bolin was appointed to the Domestic Relations Court, Blackburne-Rigsby wrote, adding that when the city’s mayor, Fiorello H. LaGuardia, appointed Bolin, he first consulted her husband — a sign of the times and of the limits placed on Black women in the court system. Blackburne-Rigsby declined to comment Wednesday. But in her article, she sounded a note of caution about viewing that demographic’s slow rise to judicial power as a matter of numbers alone. “Being both Black and female brings an important additional voice to the deliberative process,” she wrote, “but that voice is varied because there is no singular ‘Black woman’ perspective.” Even after the civil rights movement in the 1960s, which included President Lyndon B. Johnson’s appointment of Thurgood Marshall as the first Black Supreme Court justice in 1967, Black women’s access to the levers of judicial power remained limited. In 1966, Johnson had also appointed the first Black female federal judge — Constance Baker Motley, whom he placed in the Southern District of New York. And in the years that followed, Motley was sometimes mentioned as a potential future Supreme Court justice, said Tomiko Brown-Nagin, a Harvard legal historian who published a biography of the judge this week, “Civil Rights Queen.” But Brown-Nagin, who is also the dean of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, said that while Motley was “eminently qualified” for elevation, her political window closed: As a former civil rights lawyer, she was seen as a liberal, and from 1969 until 1993, there was no Supreme Court vacancy while a Democrat was president. “This appointment has been a long time coming,” Brown-Nagin said.

Biden expected to nominate a Black woman to the Supreme Court

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, an economist and former finance minister of Nigeria, has become the first woman and the first African to lead the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

Okonjo-Iweala was tapped for the position after South Korea’s trade minister Yoo Myung-hee announced on Friday her decision to withdraw her bid to head the WTO.

Yoo Myung-hee had been supported by the Trump administration.

In a statement, the US Trade Representative called Okonjo-Iweala a “wealth of knowledge in economics and international diplomacy” and said she has “proven experience managing a large international organisation”.

New US President Joe Biden’s administration on Friday offered its “strong support” to Okonjo-Iweala to lead WTO.

The statement from the US Trade Representative continued: “The Biden-Harris Administration is pleased to express its strong support for the candidacy of Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as the next director-general of the WTO. Dr Okonjo-Iweala brings a wealth of knowledge in economics and international diplomacy from her 25 years with the World Bank and two terms as Nigerian Finance Minister. She is widely respected for her effective leadership and has proven experience managing a large international organisation with a diverse membership.

“The United States stands ready to engage in the next phase of the WTO process for reaching a consensus decision on the WTO Director-General. The Biden-Harris Administration looks forward to working with a new WTO Director-General to find paths forward to achieve necessary substantive and procedural reform of the WTO.”

Okonjo-Iweala responded to the outpouring of support over her new gig on Twitter, writing: “Grateful for the expression of support from the US today.”

“It is particularly important to underscore that two highly qualified women made it to the final round of consideration for the position of WTO director general — the first time that any woman has made it to this stage in the history of the institution,” said the statement from the US Trade Representative.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, an economist and former finance minister of Nigeria, has become the first woman and the first African to lead the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, an economist and former finance minister of Nigeria, has become the first woman and the first African to lead the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Okonjo-Iweala was tapped for the position after South Korea’s trade minister Yoo Myung-hee announced on Friday her decision to withdraw her bid to head the WTO. Yoo Myung-hee had been supported by the Trump administration. In a statement, the US Trade Representative called Okonjo-Iweala a “wealth of knowledge in economics and international diplomacy” and said she has “proven experience managing a large international organisation”. New US President Joe Biden’s administration on Friday offered its “strong support” to Okonjo-Iweala to lead WTO. The statement from the US Trade Representative continued: “The Biden-Harris Administration is pleased to express its strong support for the candidacy of Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as the next director-general of the WTO. Dr Okonjo-Iweala brings a wealth of knowledge in economics and international diplomacy from her 25 years with the World Bank and two terms as Nigerian Finance Minister. She is widely respected for her effective leadership and has proven experience managing a large international organisation with a diverse membership. “The United States stands ready to engage in the next phase of the WTO process for reaching a consensus decision on the WTO Director-General. The Biden-Harris Administration looks forward to working with a new WTO Director-General to find paths forward to achieve necessary substantive and procedural reform of the WTO.” Okonjo-Iweala responded to the outpouring of support over her new gig on Twitter, writing: “Grateful for the expression of support from the US today.” “It is particularly important to underscore that two highly qualified women made it to the final round of consideration for the position of WTO director general — the first time that any woman has made it to this stage in the history of the institution,” said the statement from the US Trade Representative.

A Black woman will lead the WTO for the first time

Toronto lawyer Annamie Paul was Saturday named head of the Green Party, becoming the first Black woman to lead a national political party in Canada.

The 47-year-old mother of two, the daughter of immigrants from the Caribbean, described herself as a "descendant of slaves."

Paul hailed her victory as a "historic moment" during her speech after the announcement of the results of the internal ballot in Ottawa.

"We have done something that has never been done before in Canadian politics," said the Jewish lawyer, who has reported being the victim of anti-Semitic attacks on social media.

"Colonialism has robbed me of my original identity," Paul added in her speech, saying she was ready to support indigenous peoples in particular in their fight against systemic racism within the police.

She succeeds Elizabeth May, who led the Greens for 13 years before stepping down at the end of 2019, following a federal legislative election where her party won only three seats in the House of Commons.

Paul said that under her leadership the party would have two priorities: building a social security net for all Canadians and tackling "the existential crisis of our time, which is the climate emergency."

"This is the chance of a lifetime for us to move towards a more just, a more resilient society," she said. "We believe it can be done."

To repair the economic ravages of the coronavirus pandemic, Paul said the government needed to invest in a "green transition" for a path to the future.

"The choice is yours, if we want different outcomes then we need to make different choices," said Paul, who previously worked at the International Criminal Court.

The new leader of the Greens said she will run in a legislative by-election in Toronto at the end of October, in the constituency vacated after the surprise resignation of former Liberal finance minister Bill Morneau.

Toronto lawyer Annamie Paul was Saturday named head of the Green Party, becoming the first Black woman to lead a national political party in Canada. The 47-year-old mother of two, the daughter of immigrants from the Caribbean, described herself as a "descendant of slaves.

Toronto lawyer Annamie Paul was Saturday named head of the Green Party, becoming the first Black woman to lead a national political party in Canada. The 47-year-old mother of two, the daughter of immigrants from the Caribbean, described herself as a "descendant of slaves." Paul hailed her victory as a "historic moment" during her speech after the announcement of the results of the internal ballot in Ottawa. "We have done something that has never been done before in Canadian politics," said the Jewish lawyer, who has reported being the victim of anti-Semitic attacks on social media. "Colonialism has robbed me of my original identity," Paul added in her speech, saying she was ready to support indigenous peoples in particular in their fight against systemic racism within the police. She succeeds Elizabeth May, who led the Greens for 13 years before stepping down at the end of 2019, following a federal legislative election where her party won only three seats in the House of Commons. Paul said that under her leadership the party would have two priorities: building a social security net for all Canadians and tackling "the existential crisis of our time, which is the climate emergency." "This is the chance of a lifetime for us to move towards a more just, a more resilient society," she said. "We believe it can be done." To repair the economic ravages of the coronavirus pandemic, Paul said the government needed to invest in a "green transition" for a path to the future. "The choice is yours, if we want different outcomes then we need to make different choices," said Paul, who previously worked at the International Criminal Court. The new leader of the Greens said she will run in a legislative by-election in Toronto at the end of October, in the constituency vacated after the surprise resignation of former Liberal finance minister Bill Morneau.

Lawyer named as first Black woman to lead national party in Canada

Seven people were shot and at least one was in critical condition after protests in Louisville, Kentucky over the killing of a black woman.

The woman, Breonna Taylor, was fatally shot in her apartment in March.

The police said they did not fire any shots in the incident but had made some arrests. They had earlier tweeted that there was a large crowd in the downtown area around 2nd street.

The Louisville shootings come as separate protests escalated in Minneapolis over the death of a black man seen on video gasping for air while a white police officer knelt on his neck.

On Monday, a black guy named George Floyd was handcuffed by police officers in Minneapolis, and while doing it one of the officers placed his knee over the man's neck. George kept on saying, "Please, I can’t breathe, please, man.” But the officer stayed which resulted in George getting choked to death. After that incident, four Minneapolis officers were fired.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/stay-woke-lebron-james-expresses-his-sorrow-after-minneapolis-incident-301546">Also read |&nbsp;'Stay Woke', LeBron James expresses his sorrow after Minneapolis incident</a>

Seven people were shot and at least one was in critical condition after protests in Louisville, Kentucky over the killing of a black woman. The woman, Breonna Taylor, was fatally shot in her apartment in March.

Seven people were shot and at least one was in critical condition after protests in Louisville, Kentucky over the killing of a black woman. The woman, Breonna Taylor, was fatally shot in her apartment in March. The police said they did not fire any shots in the incident but had made some arrests. They had earlier tweeted that there was a large crowd in the downtown area around 2nd street. The Louisville shootings come as separate protests escalated in Minneapolis over the death of a black man seen on video gasping for air while a white police officer knelt on his neck. On Monday, a black guy named George Floyd was handcuffed by police officers in Minneapolis, and while doing it one of the officers placed his knee over the man's neck. George kept on saying, "Please, I can’t breathe, please, man.” But the officer stayed which resulted in George getting choked to death. After that incident, four Minneapolis officers were fired. Also read | 'Stay Woke', LeBron James expresses his sorrow after Minneapolis incident

Another Minneapolis? Several shot in Louisville protests over killing of a black woman

A white policeman who shot dead a black Texas woman as she played video games at home with her young nephew has been charged with murder, police said Monday.

Aaron Dean gunned down 28-year-old Atatiana Jefferson from outside her Fort Worth property in the early hours of Saturday as she approached a window to investigate noises outside.

The incident, less than two weeks after a white policewoman was jailed for killing a black man in his apartment in nearby Dallas, has sparked a wave of anger in the US, where so-called blue-on-black violence fueled the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement.

"We are all heartbroken today. Atatiana was a beautiful, smart, amazing young woman by all accounts, who was unjustly taken from her family," Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price told a news conference.

She said an independent panel of experts would review the incident, adding: "As a mother, a grandmother, a sister, an aunt, I can't imagine anything worse and I'm so sorry."

Police said he had been charged with murder and was being held in custody.

Fort Worth interim police chief Ed Kraus made Dean's name public, and promised "a thorough and transparent and speedy investigation."

"My intent was to meet with him today to terminate his employment with the Fort Worth Police Department. However, the officer tendered his resignation this morning before we met," Kraus said.

Jefferson's brother Darius Carr demanded tough, immediate action earlier Monday.&nbsp;

"This man murdered someone," Carr told reporters.&nbsp;

'Take it to the streets'

The shooting came after a neighbour called police to report that Jefferson's front and side doors were lying ajar.

Police body-cam footage showed two officers with flashlights walking quietly around the property before spotting someone standing inside near a window.

Family attorney Lee Merritt said the victim had heard sounds in the backyard and had walked toward the window to investigate when she was shot.

Her eight-year-old nephew had been playing a video game with Jefferson, a pharmaceutical worker, when she was gunned down.

"Perceiving a threat, the officer drew his duty weapon and fired one shot striking the person," the Fort Worth force said, releasing a blurry image of a gun found in the home that the mayor later described as "irrelevant."&nbsp;

Dean, who had been with the department since 2017, did not identify himself as a police officer before opening fire, police said. &nbsp;

In the body-cam footage, he is heard saying in rapid speech that is difficult to understand: "Put your hands up, show me your hands."&nbsp;

The words are followed immediately by the sound of gunfire.

"There was no reason for her to be murdered. None," said a GoFundMe page organized to help the family with funeral expenses. "We must have justice."

Several hundred mourners took part in a vigil Sunday in Fort Worth to honour Jefferson, local media reported. Some shed tears, while others cried out in anger.

Local pastor Michael Bell was quoted as urging people in Fort Worth to "take it to the streets."

"We're not hugging them and giving them a Bible," he said.&nbsp;

The local Star-Telegram newspaper said Fort Worth police had shot at least seven people -- six of them fatally -- since June 1, although the department has not released figures for that period.&nbsp;

Merritt described the city police as "basically one of the deadliest police departments in the United States."&nbsp;

A white policeman who shot dead a black Texas woman as she played video games at home with her young nephew has been charged with murder, police said Monday. Aaron Dean gunned down 28-year-old Atatiana Jefferson from outside her Fort Worth property in the early hours of Saturday as she approached a window to investigate noises outside.

A white policeman who shot dead a black Texas woman as she played video games at home with her young nephew has been charged with murder, police said Monday. Aaron Dean gunned down 28-year-old Atatiana Jefferson from outside her Fort Worth property in the early hours of Saturday as she approached a window to investigate noises outside. The incident, less than two weeks after a white policewoman was jailed for killing a black man in his apartment in nearby Dallas, has sparked a wave of anger in the US, where so-called blue-on-black violence fueled the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement. "We are all heartbroken today. Atatiana was a beautiful, smart, amazing young woman by all accounts, who was unjustly taken from her family," Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price told a news conference. She said an independent panel of experts would review the incident, adding: "As a mother, a grandmother, a sister, an aunt, I can't imagine anything worse and I'm so sorry." Police said he had been charged with murder and was being held in custody. Fort Worth interim police chief Ed Kraus made Dean's name public, and promised "a thorough and transparent and speedy investigation." "My intent was to meet with him today to terminate his employment with the Fort Worth Police Department. However, the officer tendered his resignation this morning before we met," Kraus said. Jefferson's brother Darius Carr demanded tough, immediate action earlier Monday. "This man murdered someone," Carr told reporters. 'Take it to the streets' The shooting came after a neighbour called police to report that Jefferson's front and side doors were lying ajar. Police body-cam footage showed two officers with flashlights walking quietly around the property before spotting someone standing inside near a window. Family attorney Lee Merritt said the victim had heard sounds in the backyard and had walked toward the window to investigate when she was shot. Her eight-year-old nephew had been playing a video game with Jefferson, a pharmaceutical worker, when she was gunned down. "Perceiving a threat, the officer drew his duty weapon and fired one shot striking the person," the Fort Worth force said, releasing a blurry image of a gun found in the home that the mayor later described as "irrelevant." Dean, who had been with the department since 2017, did not identify himself as a police officer before opening fire, police said. In the body-cam footage, he is heard saying in rapid speech that is difficult to understand: "Put your hands up, show me your hands." The words are followed immediately by the sound of gunfire. "There was no reason for her to be murdered. None," said a GoFundMe page organized to help the family with funeral expenses. "We must have justice." Several hundred mourners took part in a vigil Sunday in Fort Worth to honour Jefferson, local media reported. Some shed tears, while others cried out in anger. Local pastor Michael Bell was quoted as urging people in Fort Worth to "take it to the streets." "We're not hugging them and giving them a Bible," he said. The local Star-Telegram newspaper said Fort Worth police had shot at least seven people -- six of them fatally -- since June 1, although the department has not released figures for that period. Merritt described the city police as "basically one of the deadliest police departments in the United States."

Texas police officer charged with murder for shooting black woman

Chicago on Tuesday elected a black gay woman as its mayor and becomes the biggest city in the US to do so.

Lori Lightfoot will be the first openly gay mayor as well as the first African America woman to hold the post.&nbsp;

"We were up against powerful interests," Lightfoot said in a victory speech, with her wife and young daughter by her side.&nbsp;

"Today, you did more than make history, you created a movement for change," she told a cheering crowd.&nbsp;

The 56-year-old formal federal prosecutor and practising lawyer won the Midwestern city's mayoral race in a one-sided victory. She was standing against Toni Preckwinkle, also a black and won by a huge margin of 74 to 26 per cent with most ballots counted.&nbsp;

Chicago on Tuesday elected a black gay woman as its mayor and becomes the biggest city in the US to do so. Lori Lightfoot will be the first openly gay mayor as well as the first African America woman to hold the post.

Chicago on Tuesday elected a black gay woman as its mayor and becomes the biggest city in the US to do so. Lori Lightfoot will be the first openly gay mayor as well as the first African America woman to hold the post. "We were up against powerful interests," Lightfoot said in a victory speech, with her wife and young daughter by her side. "Today, you did more than make history, you created a movement for change," she told a cheering crowd. The 56-year-old formal federal prosecutor and practising lawyer won the Midwestern city's mayoral race in a one-sided victory. She was standing against Toni Preckwinkle, also a black and won by a huge margin of 74 to 26 per cent with most ballots counted.

Black, gay woman elected Chicago mayor in historic vote

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