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Biased test kept thousands of Black people from getting a kidney transplant, but it's finally changing
Jazmin Evans had been waiting for a new kidney for four years when her hospital revealed shocking news: She should have been put on the transplant list in 2015 instead of 2019 — and a racially biased organ test was to blame.
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Elkhardt’s closing signals harsh reality for mayor, City Council
Elkhardt Middle School is a fresh reminder of the increasingly shabby and dilapidated condition of most of Richmond’s school buildings — a condition that the mayor’s office and City Council have yet to seriously address despite repeated reports and warnings in recent years. Set to be shut down this Thursday night, with students, teachers and staff moving 10 miles north across the James River into the vacant Clark Springs Elementary building, Elkhardt on South Side reflects the stark reality the city is facing — the need to provide big money to keep Richmond’s school buildings usable, a reality that no longer can be papered over with rosy talk about bike races, baseball stadiums and football training camps.
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A resurrection story
Richmond Christian Center climbing back from bankruptcy with entrepreneurial efforts
Richmond Christian Center climbing back from bankruptcy with entrepreneurial efforts
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Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, ‘conscience of the world,’ dies at 87
Elie Wiesel, the Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize winner whose memories of persecution and teachings on tolerance made him one of the world’s most revered moral voices, has died at 87. “My husband was a fighter,” Marion Wiesel said in a statement. “He fought for the memory of the 6 million Jews who perished in the Holocaust, and he fought for Israel. He waged countless battles for innocent victims regardless of ethnicity or creed.”
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That’s the ticket
Hillary Clinton shatters glass ceiling with historic presidential nod
Hillary Rodham Clinton swept into history Tuesday as Democrats, eager to present a face of unity to a national television audience, chose her to be the party’s standard-bearer in the Nov. 8 presidential election.
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Out like Flynn
Concerns grow amid reports that Trump campaign aides were in frequent contact with Russian officials before Nov. 8 election
President Trump is facing a deepening crisis over the relationship between his aides and Russia, with senior Republicans vowing on Wednesday to get to the bottom of the matter and Democrats demanding an independent probe.
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Lead poisoning endangers Richmond children, too
Amid the public outcry over the lead-contaminated public water supply in Flint, Mich., it is easy to forget that lead poisoning remains a threat to children across the country — even in Richmond. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that 500,000 young children nationally suffer from lead poisoning that can affect development of their mental capacity, their bones and their organs.
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New 'RVA Illuminates' to kick off holiday season Dec. 6 at Kanawha Plaza
It’s the most wonderful and magical time of the year, as dazzling and brightly colored displays and holiday festivities take over the city.
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Undefeated, unforgettable
Maggie Walker 1975 football team opted to play annual Armstrong-Walker Classic at Thanksgiving rather than VHSL playoffs
The 1975 Maggie L. Walker High School football team was undefeated and unforgettable.
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Ready to reopen
Va. businesses, churches and some restaurants are poised to open on Friday under state guidelines despite VLBC's opposition
Editor's Note: In a major change that took place after publication of the May 14-16 edition of the Free Press, businesses in the city of Richmond will not reopen on Friday, May 15. At the request of Mayor Levar M. Stoney, Gov. Ralph S. Northam issued a new executive order extending business closures in Richmond until at least Thursday, May 28. The order, released about 5:15 p.m. Thursday, May 14, also included Accomack County on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, which also requested to delay openings. In the Richmond area, businesses in Henrico, Chesterfield and Hanover counties, however, can reopen Friday under Phase One of the governor’s guidelines. Government leaders in those three counties submitted a letter to Gov. Northam rejecting any delay in opening.
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Thousands of protesters hit the streets
A white Minneapolis police officer’s killing of 46-year-old George Floyd by kneeling on his neck for nearly 9 minutes was the final straw.
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Dementia and religion: Inside a church’s Alzheimer’s support group
They sat in a circle in a room usually used by high schoolers and talked about the people they loved who no longer recognized them or who had died forgetting the names of family caregivers in their last days.
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Who are we?
Richmond’s population grew by 11 percent, according to the 2020 U.S. Census. But the number of city residents who identify solely as Black slides, while the white population rises slightly.
The 2020 U.S. Census did not surprise anyone when it confirmed what everyone can see with their own eyes— Richmond’s population is on the grow.
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Personality: Myra Goodman Smith
Spotlight on board chair of the Annabella R. Jenkins Foundation
With the rise of the omicron variant of COVID-19, focus again is being directed toward the systemic issues surrounding health care and health care delivery systems. These types of issues have been a lifelong focus for Myra Goodman Smith.
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Terror on the road
After 17 years, a Chesapeake man opens up about his encounter with ‘The D.C. Snipers’
After 27 years in the Navy, Harley Peterson couldn’t help but evaluate a passing car as he would an unfamiliar ship cruising past his own off the coast of Vietnam or in the Atlantic.
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Two back-to-school shoe giveaways scheduled
There will be two options for families who cannot afford new shoes for their students, thanks to area churches.
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What are you most thankful for?
Thanksgiving marks the start of the holiday season, when we are reminded of our blessings.
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6 Virginia teams bounced out of NCAA tourney
The state of Virginia’s six representatives to the NCAA Division I Tournament didn’t need a lot of laundry changes.
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3 ousted in Richmond Police shakeup
Richmond Police Chief Gerald M. Smith overhauled his command staff this week in his first big personnel shakeup since taking office seven months ago.
