During an immigration raid in downtown Los Angeles, 32-year-old US citizen Andrea Velez was arrested, prompting her family to call it a “kidnapping.” According to witnesses, agents apprehended Velez without asking for identification, leading her mother to believe she was targeted due to her skin color. Despite family members, including attorneys, searching for hours, they were unable to locate Velez. While the exact charges are unknown, a Department of Homeland Security official stated Velez was arrested for assaulting an ICE officer.
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Nikki Saroukos, a former NSW police officer, was detained, jailed overnight, and deported from the United States despite holding a valid tourist visa to visit her US Army lieutenant husband in Hawaii. During her visit, she was subjected to invasive searches, interrogations about her past police work, and a night in federal prison, experiencing what she describes as humiliating and criminal treatment. This ordeal, which involved the confiscation of her phone and a forced DNA swab, left her and her mother deeply traumatized and demanding answers. The couple are now considering relocation to Australia to escape further potential issues.
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A Maryland audit of 87 in-custody deaths revealed at least 36 cases misclassified as anything other than homicide, exposing racial and pro-police bias within the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner under Dr. David Fowler. These cases, largely involving sudden deaths following police restraint, were unanimously reclassified by review panels. Governor Moore issued an executive order to investigate the 41 cases flagged for potential reclassification and established a task force to address systemic issues. The audit also recommended improved law enforcement training and standardized procedures for investigating restraint-related deaths.
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Google has agreed to pay $28 million to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging racial bias in pay and promotions. The settlement, preliminarily approved by a California court, covers at least 6,632 employees who worked at Google between February 15, 2018, and December 31, 2024. The lawsuit, initiated by a former Google employee, claimed that employees from underrepresented ethnic groups received lower starting salaries and job levels compared to their white and Asian counterparts. While Google denies the allegations of discrimination, the settlement reflects a resolution to the claims.
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John Q. Hosedrinker