Newsletter Archive

Four hundred years ago, an English pirate ship sailed to the coast of Virginia and deposited, according to handwritten records, “20 and odd” Africans seized from a Portuguese slave ship headed to what is now Mexico. Those captives from Angola — sold in exchange for food and other supplies — were the first known Africans to set foot in colonial Virginia. Their arrival marked the beginning of slavery in English-speaking America.

Democrats running for president have intensified their criticism of President Donald Trump in the wake of the recent mass murder shootings in Texas and Ohio. They’re slamming what they say is his divisive rhetoric. It all goes to show that Trump remains the central issue in the Democratic race.

VIDEO: The president is calling for more treatment and involuntary detention of mentally disturbed individuals after the two mass shootings. Trump’s renewed focus on mental health as a cause of gun violence comes after his administration rolled back federal regulations to restrict the mentally ill from buying guns while also trying to abolish a health care law that expanded access to U.S. mental health services.

VIDEO: There are more than 15,000 Los Angeles residents living out of their cars. Spending the night in your vehicle isn’t just uncomfortable, it can also be dangerous. But now there are designated safe lots where homeless people can park overnight to get some sleep. It’s not a permanent solution, but the lots do help people who are down on their luck to get through the night.

America is home to millions of millionaires. Out of a population of 323 million people, almost 12 million U.S. residents are worth at least $1 million each. That’s about 3.65% of the nation’s population. Here’s a list of the richest person in each U.S. state.

The world’s biggest free trade pact may be just months away from reality. President Trump withdrew from the Pacific Rim trade deal in 2017 and continues to focus on a trade dispute with China. In the meantime some of Asia’s heaviest hitters are working a deal that will cover 47% of the world’s population.

VIDEO: Russia appears to be taking aim at tourism in Georgia, its smaller neighbor to the south. Direct flights between Russia and Georgia are banned after protests in Georgia against Russia’s occupation of two of its regions. Moscow is also calling for Russian citizens to return home, a decision meant to damage the Georgian economy.