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'We Are America': New African American History Museum Opens

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Bells rang out throughout Washington, D.C. Saturday as the Smithsonian's highly anticipated National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., opened after more than 100 years in the making.

Centuries of struggles and strife, decades of planning and pain, and years of hoping for a place that African-American history can call home culminated as President Barack Obama officially dedicated the museum Saturday morning.

The president opened the museum with the ringing of the historic Freedom Bell from the First Baptist Church in Williamsburg, Virginia, which was organized in 1776 by slaves.

Obama said the new national museum will help to tell a richer and fuller story of the country.

"It helps us better understand the lives, yes, of a president, but also the slave. The industrialist, but also the worker. The teacher or the cook, alongside the story of the statesman," he said. "By understanding this story, it binds us together and reaffirms we are all Americans."

He continued his message of the inclusion of African Americans in American history, calling it "an act of patriotism to understand where we've been."

"We're not a burden on America or a stain on America or an object of shame and pity for America. We are America. And that’s what this museum explains," Obama said. "Hopefully, this museum makes us talk to each other and listen to each other and see each other."

With thousands of items occupying 85,000 square feet of exhibition space, the new Smithsonian will chronicle the complex relationship between the United States and a people it once enslaved, and tell the story of those who worked to make the necessary changes to bring the country to where it is today.

The dedication featured speeches by Obama, civil rights leader U.S. Rep. John Lewis, former President George W. Bush and the museum's founding director, Lonnie Bunch. It also featured rousing musical tributes with a local flair, including Howard University's "Showtime" marching band and an a capella presentation by a choir from D.C.'s Duke Ellington School for the Arts.

The museum, the 19th and newest of the Smithsonians, opened to the public following the dedication ceremony.

"It's a historic event," said Leslie Howard, who traveled from New Orleans to attend the dedication. "And the fact that we have our first black president to dedicate it shows you how God works."

"We want to make sure we reinforce the commitment to preserve African-American history," said Glen Yonkers, Jr., a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, which was founded at Howard University in Washington. Members marched to the mall for the dedication Saturday.

"Our fraternity was built for African-American men to have a place to share our history and stories," said fraternity brother Jude Collins. "This was the only place to be today."

Seeing the dedication was a family event for many; Alicia Frayer came from Charleston with her husband and three daughters to attend. "I'm inspired by history," she said. "It's a major part of our history, and the fact that our history and culture are here for everyone to see is so important." 

Many celebrities came to the museum's dedication as well, including Oprah Winfrey, who has donated more then $20 million to the museum.

The museum tweeted out video of Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monae arriving. Robert De Niro, Angela Bassett, Will Smith and Patti LaBelle are among those presenting during the dedication.

Many of those present shared their personal connection to the museum's story, including D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser spoke before the ceremony, honoring its opening and using the opportunity to call for statehood for the nation's capital, where residents do not have voting representation in Congress. "While we are proud to host this museum ... we know it will show how far Washington has to go," Bowser said.

The museum is offering extended hours for the grand opening weekend from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and 7 a.m. to midnight Sunday, but timed entry passes are no longer available. While entry is free, like at other Smithsonian facilities, the museum is instituting a timed pass system to control crowds and alleviate wait times. 

If a visitor didn't score a ticket, they can watch the museum's dedication ceremony in large-screen viewing areas at the Washington Monument grounds, or livestream the ceremony on the museum's website.

A free three-day festival celebrating the talent and creativity of African-American artists will also take place on the Washington Monument grounds. The Freedom Sounds festival will feature jazz, R&B, gospel and hip-hop artists. The Roots, Living Colour and Public Enemy will headline the festival Saturday, and a surprise special guest is slated to perform Sunday. 

Anyone heading toward the museum this weekend should be prepared for large crowds and heightened security.

The push for the museum began in 1915 with African-American Civil War veterans looking for a way to commemorate America's black experience. Former President George W. Bush signed the law authorizing the construction in 2003.

Lewis, who co-sponsored legislation authorizing its construction, said the bronze-colored museum "is more than a building, it is a dream come true."

For more information about the museum, check NBC 4 Washington's full coverage here.



Photo Credit: Smithsonian
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Watch Police Dashcam Video From Keith Scott Shooting

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Charlotte police on Saturday released portions of an officer's dashboard camera footage captured during the fatal shooting of Keith Lamont Scott.

Anthem Protests Spread to Colleges, WNBA Player Sits

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Liberty guard Brittany Boyd sat on the bench with her head bowed during the national anthem before a WNBA playoff game.

Hours earlier, college football players for Michigan and Michigan State, along with a group of students at North Carolina, raised their fists during the playing of the Star Spangled Banner on Saturday. 

Since 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick refused to stand for the anthem before NFL preseason games, citing racial injustice and police brutality, his movement has slowly spread across fields and courts in the U.S. On Saturday, college athletes and professional athletes joined together to follow his lead after a week punctuated by riots in Charlotte, North Carolina , and the killing of an unarmed black man in Tulsa, Oklahoma. 

Boyd had sat on the bench during the anthem at the team's last home game on Sept. 13, too. Her New York teammates stood, arms locked with their heads bowed before their WNBA playoff game with Phoenix. Mercury players Mistie Bass and Kelsey Bone kneeled, just as they had done during their first-round playoff game. Bass was inspired that younger athletes were joining an effort that until this weekend, had been mostly led by the pros. 

"I think it shows that the younger generations are about this and they did it together," she said. "They are understanding what is going on in our society. It's perfect because they are so caught up in their phones. To see them standing up for social injustices and wanting things to be right in their communities I think is awesome." 

Three Michigan State players — Delton Williams, Kenney Lyke and Gabe Sherrod — held their right fists in the air while standing on the sideline before the No. 8 Spartans hosted No. 11 Wisconsin.

"Whether somebody salutes, puts the hand over their heart or does something else, everybody has a choice to make," Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio added after the Spartans' 30-6 loss. "Our young people are in college, and I can promise you one thing, that when the flag is presented in some respect, I guess it becomes much more important now. It's not just, oh by the way, we'll just stand for 'The Star-Spangled Banner.'

"All I can do is try and lead the best way I can, and be positive and accepting to our football team and our players," the coach added.

Several players for No. 4 Michigan also had their fists up before facing Penn State in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Among them were Khalid Hill, Mike McCray, Devin Bush, Elysee Mbem-Bosse and Jourdan Lewis.

Most college conferences play the anthem before the teams take the field. The Big Ten is among the exceptions.

The University of Michigan is 6 miles from Eastern Michigan University, where chanting students marched on the field Friday night after the school's 27-24 victory over Wyoming. The students were protesting racist graffiti on the campus earlier in the week.

"We have great respect for our students engaged in the constructive efforts underway to address the issues we face," Eastern Michigan President James Smith said in a statement Saturday.

Before North Carolina hosted Pittsburgh, students wearing black shirts remained seated with fists raised. Some 60 to 70 black and white students participated.

Nebraska players Michael Rose-Ivey, Daishon Neal and Mohamed Barry also kneeled before the No. 20 Cornhuskers' game at Northwestern.

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh was Kaepernick's coach for four seasons in San Francisco. Last month, Harbaugh said he supported Kaepernick's motivation to speak out but took exception to his method.

After Saturday's game, Harbaugh said he had been thinking a lot about the issue the past couple of weeks and that he supports his players. 

"This is something that's not going away. It's going to keep happening," Harbaugh said after the Wolverines' 49-10 victory. "It's not something that's going to keep them out of heaven. So I'm not going to worry about it. As long as it doesn't keep them out of heaven for supporting their minds, I support it."

Kaepernick was at a high school football game on Friday night. He spoke to players from Castlemont High School and joined them on the sideline before the game. A photo by former NFL linebacker Kirk Morrison on Twitter shows Kaepernick kneeling while the rest of the team laid on their backs with their hands up during the anthem.

Saturday's gestures came a day after it was announced that Tommie Smith and John Carlos will join the U.S. Olympic team at the White House for a meeting with President Barack Obama. The raised-fist salutes by the American sprinters on the medal stand at the 1968 Olympics became a political flash point.



Photo Credit: Pendarvis Harsha

'Life-Changing': Visitors React to African American Museum

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"Phenomenal." "Hopeful." "Exhilarating." Visitors were enthralled by their trips through the new National Museum of African American History and Culture on its opening day, describing the experience as inspiring, cathartic and phenomenal -- a word that came up again and again.

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New groups of eager visitors are lining up outside the newest Smithsonian on Sunday, sharing their thoughts on what they're most looking forward to seeing now that Washington, D.C.'s highly anticipated black history museum has opened its doors after more than 100 years in the making.

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"I think just being able to look at all the African American history in one set location, looking at Prince's jacket, Chuck Berry's Cadillac; I'm just excited about the whole thing," said Jennifer Kirby, who traveled with her family from Atlanta.

"I'm just going to say Emmett Till's original casket, because I lived through that era," said visitor Vivian Favors.

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With thousands of items occupying 85,000 square feet of exhibition space, the new Smithsonian is chronicling the complex relationship between the United States and a people it once enslaved, and telling the story of those who worked to make the necessary changes to bring the country to where it is today.

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Alexis Lennon, of Takoma Park, said she thought the museum did an "amazing job of telling our story."

"It was life-changing for me to finally have a place that embodies African American culture," she said Sunday.

Lifelong D.C resident Denise Evans said she jumped at the opportunity to visit the museum when a friend who couldn't make it offered her a ticket Sunday morning.

Evans, 49, said the museum was "sort of heartbreaking," but also interesting and uplifting. 

"Unfortunately so many things are repeating itself and so it was a little bit heartbreaking to see that as far as we've come we are beginning to repeat those same patterns of discrimination," Evans said. "But I think because we can see the path from it then we can sort of being ourselves out of it again." 

Her favorite exhibit highlighted African American fashion. 

"Just really being able to see that we have our own style, that we can own who we are and that we really do have an impact on much of what the whole does... so much of that has been quieted, and so seeing it on display it's like, 'OK, right, we are pretty cool and we are creative and we are gifted,'" she said.

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The museum is offering extended hours for its grand opening weekend.

Sunday, the museum will stay open from 7 a.m. to midnight, but passes were snapped up almost as soon as they became available. Although admission is free, the museum is using a timed pass system to control crowds and alleviate wait times.  

Despite the lengthy lines both outside and inside the museum, visitors said the timed entry pass system is efficient, keeping wait times down.

However, anyone heading toward the museum this weekend should be prepared for large crowds and heightened security.

Freedom Sounds Festival Open to Public

The museum's outdoor music festival is open to the public on the Washington Monument grounds, with no tickets required. The festival, Freedom Sounds, is celebrating the talent and creativity of African-American artists, with jazz, R&B, gospel and hip-hop artists throughout the weekend.

The Roots, Living Colour and Public Enemy headlined Saturday night. Performances continue throughout the day Sunday, with another main-stage concert scheduled for 6 to 9 p.m. A surprise special guest is slated to perform.

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After 'Incredible' Experience, Museum Goers Plan to Return

Lennon and Andres Rossy toured the museum for more than three hours Sunday, but said they would need much more time to see everything inside. 

"You definitely can't do it all in one day," said Rossy, of Takoma Park. "So we'll be back, but I had a great time."

Margaret Baxter and her husband drove up from their home in Durham, North Carolina to visit the museum with Margaret's 71-year-old grandmother.

As a fan of history, Baxter said she enjoyed the exhibits on slavery and segregation in America.

"It would probably take you two to three days to see every single thing, but it's so well put together," she said. "It's incredible."

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Her grandmother, D.C. resident Marthena Baxter, said she enjoyed seeing the exhibits highlighting "entertainers from back when," like Chuck Berry, Barry White and James Brown.

Marthena Baxter said she plans on returning to the museum after crowds die down to "really take everything in."

 "The whole place was amazing, absolutely amazing," she said. "I will be back."

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Saturday's Dedication Ceremony: "By Understanding this Story, It Binds Us Together"

Centuries of struggles and strife, decades of planning and pain, and years of hoping for a place that African-American history can call home culminated Saturday morning as President Barack Obama officially dedicated the museum.

Obama opened the museum Saturday with the ringing of the historic Freedom Bell from the First Baptist Church in Williamsburg, Virginia, which was organized in 1776 by slaves.

Obama said the new national museum will help to tell a richer and fuller story of the country.

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"It helps us better understand the lives, yes, of a president, but also the slave. The industrialist, but also the worker. The teacher or the cook, alongside the story of the statesman," he said. "By understanding this story, it binds us together and reaffirms we are all Americans."

He continued his message of the inclusion of African Americans in American history, calling it "an act of patriotism to understand where we've been."

"We're not a burden on America or a stain on America or an object of shame and pity for America. We are America. And that's what this museum explains," Obama said. "Hopefully, this museum makes us talk to each other and listen to each other and see each other."

The dedication featured speeches by Obama, civil rights leader U.S. Rep. John Lewis, former President George W. Bush and the museum's founding director, Lonnie Bunch. It also featured rousing musical tributes with a local flair, including Howard University's "Showtime" marching band and an a capella presentation by a choir from D.C.'s Duke Ellington School for the Arts.

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The museum, the 19th and newest of the Smithsonians, opened to the public following the dedication ceremony.

"It's a historic event," said Leslie Howard, who traveled from New Orleans to attend the dedication. "And the fact that we have our first black president to dedicate it shows you how God works."

"We want to make sure we reinforce the commitment to preserve African-American history," said Glen Yonkers, Jr., a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, which was founded at Howard University in Washington. Members marched to the mall for the dedication Saturday.

"Our fraternity was built for African-American men to have a place to share our history and stories," said fraternity brother Jude Collins. "This was the only place to be today."

Seeing the dedication was a family event for many; Alicia Frayer came from Charleston with her husband and three daughters to attend. "I'm inspired by history," she said. "It's a major part of our history, and the fact that our history and culture are here for everyone to see is so important." 

Many celebrities came to the museum's dedication as well, including Oprah Winfrey, who has donated more then $20 million to the museum.

The museum tweeted a video of Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monae arriving. Robert De Niro, Angela Bassett, Will Smith and Patti LaBelle were among those presenting during the dedication.

Lexie Schapitl contributed to this report.


For more information about the museum, check NBC Washington's full coverage here.



Photo Credit: Lexie Schapitl, NBC Washington
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Kaep Joins High School Protest

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High school students in the East Bay are following Colin Kaepernick’s lead and helping to shine a light on issues of police brutality and racial inequality in the United States — this time by lying down during the national anthem.

Since August, the San Francisco 49ers quarterback has taken to kneeling before games – something he did alongside the Castlemont High School football team in Oakland on Friday.

When the first strains of the national anthem floated across the field and Kaepernick knelt, the Knights lay on the ground with their hands up in the air.

"It's basically showing our vulnerability ... them being the authority and the power, and us being the citizens," said protest organizer and senior player Jadan Starks.

Head coach Edward Washington supports his team's actions.

“Black men and brown men have been assassinated unarmed, hands on the ground,” he said. “We had to protest and stand against this because it's not right."

Friday’s protest came after nearly a week after the team knelt during the National Anthem before another game and tweeted a picture of it. Kaepernick retweeted the Twitter post and it went viral, sparking a conversation between him and the school.

“He had reached out through a fraternity brother and a mutual friend and he was like, ‘I want to come over and talk to the kids,’” Washington said.

And that's exactly what Kaepernick did, catching the players by surprise.

“This is your family, these are your brothers,” he told the team. “I look at all of you as brothers. I see your strength, I see your power, I see your courage, your confidence.”

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Speaking to the athletes in their locker room before the game, Kaepernick said he attended their game to stand – or kneel as the case may be – in solidarity with them.

“The same way y'all took a stand and stood with me, I had to come out here and stand with you’ll,” he said.

Kaepernick also encouraged his rapt audience to “lift each other up” because “that’s what this is about.”

He assured the Castlemont students that their actions, thoughts and words have value – both on and off the football field.

“You are important. You make a difference. This matters. Everything you do matters,” Kaepernick stressed.

Earlier in the week, a school band of roughly 155 middle and high school students from the Oakland Unified School District knelt as they played "The Star Bangled Banner" before an Oakland A's game on Wednesday.

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San Francisco’s Mission High School football team has also decided to take a knee at every game in the season when the national anthem is played. The Bears are slated to face Millbrae’s Mills High School Saturday.

According to Castlemont coach Bryan Parker, this is just the beginning of a movement among young students and athletes, and those who motivate them.

"We want to keep a dialogue going, getting rid of the dehumanization of black and brown people all around the country, but specifically in Oakland," he said.

School officials say they plan to continue working with community leaders, politicians and law enforcement, going forward.

Social unrest has rocked the U.S. this week. Police shootings in Tulsa and Charlotte have spawned massive demonstrations and even riots. Amid this social landscape, Kaepernick’s ongoing protest has ignited a maelstrom of conflicting reactions.

His face will grace the cover of Time magazine next month, but he has also received death threats and a recent poll reflects his unenviable achievement of being the most disliked player in the National Football League.

Closer to home, the NFLer has had not only the 49ers head coach Chip Kelly in his corner, but even a muralist, who created artwork on the side of an Oakland wall to remind Kaepernick, “We got your back.”

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Photo Credit: Castlemont Football
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Fans, Marlins Mourns Death of Pitcher Jose Fernandez

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Baseball fans and players awoke Sunday morning to the tragic news of Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez's untimely death.

The ace right-hander was one of three people killed in a boating accident in Miami Beach. The Cuban-born athlete was just 24 years old. 

Miami Marlins players gathered at the team's ballpark to grieve together following the death of their teammate.

"A lot of words were said, meaningful words and emotion and prayer," Marlins president David Samson said at a news conference, surrounded by more than two dozen players wearing black Marlins jerseys. "Jose is a member of this family for all time."

Manager Don Mattingly and president of baseball operations Michael Hill flanked Samson and fought back tears.

"When I think about Jose, it's going to be thinking about a little kid," Mattingly said. "I see such a little boy in him ... the way he played. ... Kids play Little League, that's the joy Jose played with."

The Marlins' game Sunday against Atlanta was canceled. Their home game Monday night against the New York Mets will be played as scheduled, the team said.

"Deep in our hearts there is a lot of pain," third baseman Martin Prado said. "Somehow we've got to overcome that."

Fans, athletes and sports teams took to social media Sunday to mourn Fernandez's death, tweeting condolences and prayers for his family and the Marlins organization.  

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"Hands down one of my favorite guys to watch pitch! He brought nothing but intensity and passion," Boston Red Sox pitcher David Price said on Twitter early Sunday.

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Photo Credit: Getty Images
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1 Dead, 4 Injured in Shootings at the University of Illinois Campus

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One person was killed and four others wounded in a pair of shootings at the University of Illinois in Champaign early Sunday, according to police.

Around 12:38 a.m., officers responding to multiple reports of a shooting in the 300 block of East Green Street found four victims with gunshot wounds, according to a statement from the Champaign Police Department.

Police said an argument broke out at an apartment party near the scene, then spilled out into the street where a fight broke out and shots were fired, striking four people.

All four were taken to area hospitals, according to police, where one was pronounced dead. He was later identified as 22-year-old George Korchev, of Mundelein. The other three victims sustained non-critical injuries, according to police.

Korchev and the other victims were not involved in the fight, authorities said, but were walking in the area when gunfire erupted.

A fifth person who was running from the gunfire was struck by a vehicle and also sustained minor injuries, according to police. 

Approximately 30 minutes later, police received another report of a shooting less than a mile away, in the 700 block of South State Street a few blocks west of campus. Officers found a shooting victim who was taken to an area hospital for a non-critical wound.

Police said preliminary investigations suggest that the two shootings may be related. Authorities also said the gunman was not believed to be a student, according to an email sent to undergraduates in one of the university's residence halls. 

The investigation is ongoing, as police continue to search for a suspect in both shooting incidents as well as the driver in the car crash. 

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Champaign Police via email at police@champaignil.gov or by phone at 217-351-4545.



Photo Credit: WMAQ

Protesters Kneel During Anthem Outside Panthers' Stadium

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As the Star-Spangled Banner played and police in riot-gear looked on, a sea of people took a knee outside of Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte Sunday, NBC News reported.

Activists were demonstrating at and boycotting Sunday's NFL game between the Carolina Panthers and the Minnesota Vikings in protest of the shooting death of Keith Lamont Scott by a police officer last Tuesday.

Panthers quarterback Cam Newton — who has often been criticized for being silent on social justice issues — warmed-up for Sunday's game in a black t-shirt with the Martin Luther King Jr. quote: "Injustice anywhere is a threat to injustice everywhere."

Security around the stadium was increased in light of recent protests that turned violent. About 50 Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officers dressed in riot gear received an ovation from fans waiting to get into the stadium for Sunday's game.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

'I Hope' My Foundation Hasn't Broken the Law: Trump

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When asked in an interview Sunday whether he was confident he’d followed the law with regards to his personal charitable foundation, Donald Trump said that he “hoped so.”

Media reports have found that Trump has used his charitable organization, The Donald J. Trump Foundation, for personal purchases and to pay off legal fees. Those actions may have been taken in violation of IRS laws, NBC News reports.

The host of Sunday talk show "Full Measure," Sharyl Atkinson, asked the GOP presidential candidate directly if he was “confident that the Trump Foundation has followed all charitable rules and laws.”

“Well, I hope so. I mean, my lawyers do it,” Trump said.



Photo Credit: Steve Helber, AP

Charlotte Mayor Lifts Curfew; Protests Remain Peaceful

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Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts lifted a citywide curfew Sunday evening after a weekend of peaceful protests and demonstrations over the police-involved shooting death of Keith Lamont Scott, NBC News reports.

In a statement, Roberts and the chairman of the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners urged the community to continue to "show their unity in a peaceful and legal manner."

Violent protests rocked the city last week after a police officer shot and killed Scott on Tuesday. North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory declared a state of emergency, calling in the National Guard.

As the week drew on, the demonstrations continued, but protesters remained peaceful. Many called for the police to release the dashcam and bodycam footage taken during the shooting, and the department released some of that footage to the public Saturday.



Photo Credit: Chuck Burton, AP

Actor Famous for 'Radio Raheem' Role Dies

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Bill Nunn, the actor most famous for his role as Radio Raheem in Spike Lee's "Do the Right Thing," died Saturday in Pittsburgh, Lee announced on Instagram. He was 62.

"My Dear Friend, My Dear Morehouse Brother- Da Great Actor Bill Nunn As Most Of You Know Him As Radio Raheem Passed Away This Morning In His Hometown Of Pittsburgh. Long Live Bill NUNN," Lee wrote on Instagram.

Nunn appeared in a number films throughout his career, which spanned from the late 1980s into the 21st Century. He acted opposite Tobey Maguire in the "Spiderman" franchise, in "New Jack City" with Wesley Snipes, and in "Sister Act" starring Whoopi Goldberg.

But his most notable role was Radio Raheem, the Bedford-Stuyvesant resident who spoke in poetic prose about his brass knuckles emblazoned with the words "love" and "hate." 

In the film, racial tensions in the Brooklyn neighborhood simmer during a steamy summer day. They boil over at night when Nunn's character is choked to death by a New York City police officer. 

"RADIO RAHEEM Is Now RESTING IN POWER," Lee wrote on Instagram. "RADIO RAHEEM WILL ALWAYS BE FIGHTING DA POWERS DAT BE. MAY GOD WATCH OVER BILL NUNN."



Photo Credit: AP
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Mike Ditka on Kaepernick's Protest

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Former Bears coach Mike Ditka has weighed in on the protests sparked by 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, and he certainly did not hold back. 

"I think it’s a problem, anybody who disrespects this country and the flag," Ditka said in a radio interview Friday. "If they don't like the country, they don't like our flag, get the hell out, that's what I think."

"I have no respect for Colin Kaepernick, he probably has no respect for me," the Hall of Fame coach continued. "That’s his choice. My choice is that I like this country. I respect our flag."

"And I don't see all the atrocities going on in this country that people say are going on," he added. "I see opportunities if people want to look for opportunities. Now, if they don't want to look for them, then you can find problems with anything."

"But this is the land of opportunity because you can be anything you want to be if you work. Now if you don't work, that's a different problem," he concluded. 

Ditka's disapproval of the protests came just days after three players on the Philadelphia Eagles raised their fists at Soldier Field ahead of the Bears' home opener Monday night. 

That demonstration joined the national conversation ignited by Kaepernick who sat, then kneeled, for the playing of the national anthem beginning in August to call attention to the oppression of minorities across the United States. 

Since then, Kaepernick has been joined by several other NFL players, including four members of the Miami Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Marcus Peters, and Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall.

While some have expressed support for the message of the demonstrations, the protests have sparked outrage among others, including local police unions in Miami and San Francisco, both of which have threatened some form of boycott. 

A recent poll found Kaepernick to be the most disliked player in the NFL, which was conducted just days before his cover for Time Magazine's October issue was revealed. 

He revealed Tuesday that he has received death threats over his protest, and pledged to donate $100,000 in each of the next 10 months to organizations that work toward goals consistent with his message of fighting racial inequality.

This is not the first time Ditka has spoken out on social or political issues. A well-documented conservative, he has publicly expressed support for Donald Trump and flirted with the idea of speaking at the Republican National Convention in July.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Boater Missing a Week Found Alive Off East Coast; Mom Still Missing

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One of two boaters from Middletown, Connecticut, who was missing for a week was found alive at sea on a life raft, but the Coast Guard is not continuing the search for his mother, who is still missing.

Nathan Carman, 22, and his mother, 54-year-old Linda Carman, were reported missing Sept. 18 after heading out in the boat Chicken Pox and failing to return from a fishing trip off Point Judith, Rhode Island.

On Sunday afternoon, a China-based freighter called Orient Lucky spotted a life raft 115 nautical miles off Martha's Vineyard, found Nathan Carman inside of it and picked him up, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

Nathan, a Middletown native who has been living in Vermont, was wearing a life vest and had an emergency bag of food and water. But there was still no sign of Linda Carman.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Nicole Groll said during a news conference on Monday that the chances of Linda Carman surviving are minimal.

"Unfortunately the decision to suspend a case is never an easy one and we will not be reopening the search for Linda Carman at this time due to the fact that survivability -- we're beyond that point," Groll said.

Signs have been placed outside Linda Carman's home that ask people to "Never Give Up."

She said the Coast Guard took into consideration the weather, water temperature, the fact that Linda Carman was unprotected from the elements and had no food and water. The only one life raft aboard the Chicken Pox was the one Nathan had so his mother would not have access to one. 

"The likelihood of her being alive is minimal," Groll said.

Nathan Carman spoke briefly with the Coast Guard and told them the motorized boat the mother and son were in started taking on water off the coast of New York on Sunday, in an area called Block Canyon.

Nathan went looking for his mother to get in the life raft, but he couldn't find her, according to the Coast Guard.  

Nathan is due to arrive in Boston sometime n Tuesday night. 

The Coast Guard search included an area near Block Island and it expanded through 62,000 square miles, from the coast of Rhode Island to New York and as far as New Jersey.

Sharon Hartstein, who has been friends with Linda for more than 20 years, said Linda let her know she would be leaving Ram’s Point Marina in Point Judith early on the morning of Sunday, Sept. 18, and they were supposed to come back later that day. They went out in a 31-foot aluminum fishing boat named the Chicken Pox, The Associated Press reported.

She showed us the last text messages between her and Linda: “So she sent this email Friday, I mean text message, saying that they were going from ‘Rams Point around 1 [a.m. Sunday], back by 9 [a.m. Sunday]. Call me 12 noon if you don’t hear from me. Thanks for being there.’”

Nathan – who suffers from Asperger’s Syndrome -- was the center of a 2011 investigation when he went missing and was found in Virginia.

A friend of the family said on Sunday that Nathan is in good condition.



Photo Credit: United States Coast Guard

Elena Delle Donne Opens Up in Video

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Chicago Sky superstar Elena Delle Donne is well-known for her exploits on the court and her status as the defending WNBA MVP, but what you may not know is the story of how her bond with her sister resurrected her basketball career.

In a new video released by Gatorade, Delle Donne recounts the story of how she walked away from the UConn women’s basketball team to take care of her sister Lizzie, who has cerebral palsy and is blind and deaf.

"Lizzie has always been my strength, but going away to play college basketball meant that I had to say goodbye, and I just wasn't ready," she said. "Everybody thinks I came home to take care of her, but she was the one helping me."

She took a year off from basketball, but ultimately decided to come back to the sport and became a star at the University of Delaware. In the video, she describes how her sister’s love of the wind helped give her a new perspective on life.

"If you close your eyes, and you can't hear anything, and the wind comes across your face and blows your hair, it makes you feel a certain joy. To her, it's just pure joy and it's incredible to watch something that simple make her so happy," Delle Donne shared.

"I'll step outside after a rough practice, feel the wind, and it's like, 'Oh. There you are Liz,'" she added. "Liz has taught me so much. You don't focus on what you don't have - you celebrate what you do." 

Delle Donne has gone through other obstacles in her career as well, including contracting Lyme disease during her sophomore season. Eventually she overcame those challenges and was drafted by the Sky with the second overall pick in the 2013 WNBA Draft.

Unfortunately for Delle Donne, she has more adversity to go through now, as she’s dealing with recovery following thumb surgery earlier this month. The star forward is hoping to return to the court during the WNBA playoffs, but her timetable for recovery is unknown at this point.

Even with that latest setback, Delle Donne proves in the video that she is willing to take on any challenge, and going through adversity is something she’s become very adept at in her career.



Photo Credit: Getty Images
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Debate Details Revealed: Clinton Gets 1st Question

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WATCH the debate live at 9 p.m. ET.

Debate officials have released the details of Monday night's presidential debate between Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump, NBC News reported.

Clinton will receive the first question from NBC News' Lester Holt, who will moderate the first debate of the election season at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York.

The debate will 90 minutes long and divided into six, 15 minute "pods," the Commission on Presidential Debates announced on Sunday.

Clinton's podium will be stage left and Trump's podium will be stage right, the CPD said.



Photo Credit: Getty Images
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Debate-Day Trump Snapchat Filter Takes Swipe at Clinton

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Snapchat claims it reaches 41 percent of Americans between 18 and 34 years old on any given day.

Donald Trump's presidential campaign is trying to win that group over with a new Snapchat geofilter debuted on Monday, the day of his first debate with Hillary Clinton.

The star- and firework-spangled "Debate Day" filter uses Trump's trusted epithet for Clinton, "crooked Hillary" on top, where it reads: "Donald J. Trump vs. Crooked Hillary." The national, sponsored filter was paid for by Donald J. Trump for President, Inc., according to fine print on the filter itself and confirmed by Snapachat.

Geofilters are a feature on Snapchat that lets users overlay images onto their photos or videos. They're often of city or town names, but users can design and purchase their own filters to be used in certain places for periods of time. The filters must be approved by Snapchat. 

Clinton and her allies were outspending Trump's campaign in TV ads by a 5-to-1 margin as of last week, NBC News reported. Clinton has purchased ads on Snapchat before, including during the Republican National Convention, but didn't have a Snapchat filter of her own on Monday.

The Trump campaign — which has grown in part on the strength of the candidate's Twitter presence — is no stranger to using social media to score points in the debate. Earlier this month, Donald Trump Jr. drew outrage along with retweets when he posted an image showing the internet meme Pepe the Frog, which as been used by some white nationalists, next to his father.

Watch the debate here at 9 p.m. ET.



Photo Credit: NBC

Officer Pulls Chase Driver From Edge of Freeway Overpass

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A driver who led officers on a pursuit through three Southern California counties, smoking a cigarette and throwing trash out a window, was pulled from a freeway overpass by an officer, ending a tense standoff Monday morning in San Bernardino.

The hourlong pursuit came to an end when the driver of the stolen Toyota Camry exited the vehicle on the side of 215 Freeway with what appeared to be a piece of metal that was removed from the car. He walked across all freeway lanes and climbed onto the edge of an overpass, dangling his legs over the side, as officers approached with a K-9.

As he gestured with the wiper blade at one group of officers, another officer dashed up from behind the man and pulled him back from the ledge and onto the ground. Other officers joined the struggle and took the man, who appeared to be bleeding from his leg, into custody. 

Paramedics treated the man on the side of the freeway. Details regarding his condition were not immediately available.

The man repeatedly said, "The system doesn't work. The system doesn't work, I tried to get a job," as paramedics wheeled him on a gurney to an ambulance. The man earlier told 

The pursuit began at about 8:45 a.m. after a report of a stolen vehicle near Morongo Valley, just west of Joshua Tree National Park in Riverside County.

The black Toyota Camry was on the westbound 60 Freeway, near Moreno Valley, before the driver entered the Pomona and Diamond Bar areas. The driver exited onto the northbound 605 and eastbound 10 freeways in the Covina area and threw items, including a plastic bag, out the window before lighting a cigarette. 

The driver, the vehicle's lone occupant, doubled back into eastern Riverside County, passed the 15 Freeway transition and headed north on the 215 Freeway into San Bernardino County. 



Photo Credit: KNBC-TV
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Jose Fernandez Remembered by MLB Teams

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Photo Credit: Getty Images

Ex-NFL Player Greg Hardy Arrested on Drug Charge: Police

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Former Dallas Cowboys defensive end Greg Hardy faces a felony drug charge after he was arrested Sunday night in Richardson, police say.

Hardy, who is an NFL free agent after playing for the Cowboys in 2015, allegedly had 0.7 grams of cocaine in a wallet in his car. It was discovered after a traffic stop for failing to use a turn signal, a police affidavit states.

Hardy was stopped about 11:22 p.m. after turning onto Midway Drive from the 300 block of North Glenville Drive. The officer gave Hardy a verbal warning for the traffic violation but asked for his consent to search his 2010 white Dodge Challenger, the police report says.

He told the officer that he didn't know what the substance was and said he believed he got it while he was at a party Saturday night, according to police. Hardy said he passed his wallet around at the party because he was paying for everybody, and he said that must have been when someone put the substance in his wallet.

Hardy was booked into the Richardson City Jail, where he remained Monday afternoon. Bond was set at $5,000.

Hardy spent the first five years of his NFL career with the Carolina Panthers, before joining the Cowboys in 2015.

Hardy hasn't garnered much attention in free agency since he and the Cowboys parted ways after the 2015 season. He recorded six sacks in 12 games while playing for Dallas.

The defensive end made news stemming from a 2014 arrest for assaulting an ex-girlfriend and threatening to kill her. The charges were eventually expunged from Hardy's record.



Photo Credit: NBC 5 News/Richardson Police Dept.

Clinton Leads Trump by 5 Ahead of 1st Debate: Poll

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Hillary Clinton takes a five-point lead among likely voters over Donald Trump into Monday night's presidential debate, according to the latest NBC News|SurveyMonkey Weekly Election Tracking Poll, released hours before the debate kicked off.

Clinton's 45-40 lead over Trump was unchanged from the week before, the poll found. But Clinton's head-to-head matchup with Trump improved by two points over the previous week, and she now leads him 51-44, NBC News reported.

Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson trails the front-runners with 10 percent of those surveyed in the online poll, from September 19 through September 25. Green Party candidate Jill Stein has 3 percent support.

Clinton leads among millennials and gained ground in the 18-29 age group, where the third-party candidates maintained comparatively large bastions of support, while only 5 percent of those 65 and over support Johnson and only 1 percent support Stein.



Photo Credit: Getty Images, File
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