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Nearly half of Americans in the U.S. live in areas with failing air quality, according to the American Lung Association’s annual State of the Air report. Experts warn the nation’s air pollution crisis is worsening, putting millions at greater risk for respiratory and cardiovascular issues. Without proper policies in place, the outlook for cleaner air remains bleak.

Pedro Pascal is standing by his trans sister, Lux Pascal, and the LGBTQ+ community at large.

According to People, while attending the U.K. premiere of Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts*, the actor wore a white T-shirt with “Protect the Dolls” emblazoned on it.

Connor Ives designed the shirt to honor trans women

The “Protect the Dolls” shirt, which Pascal wore earlier this month during his 50th birthday celebration on April 6, per Deadline, was designed by Conner Ives. The outlet reported that the tee was shown at Ives’ runway show during London Fashion Week in February and is part of a larger effort by Ives to highlight the atrocities trans women around the world face, with “dolls” being a term of endearment the LGBTQ+ community uses to refer to transgender women.

Ives told The New York Times he was inspired to use fashion as a means to advocate for trans people politically and socially.

He said, “In the modern day, what is more ubiquitous than the graphic T-shirt?”

Ives added, “It was very reactive. I knew I wanted to say something, given what we’ve observed in the last few months with the U.S. government and the current political regime.”

Other celebrities have been spotted wearing the tee, including Troye Sivan, who wore it while performing with Charli XCX during her Coachella set.

Pascal’s choice of wearing the shirt was especially timely as the U.K. Supreme Court ruled on April 16 that the legal definition of a woman is rooted solely in biological sex. The decision, which the U.K. government said will offer “clarity and confidence” for women and service providers, according to The Athletic, actively pushes trans women out of equality law.

Proceeds from the “Protect the Dolls” tee are being donated to Trans Lifeline, a crisis hotline that provides peer support for transgender people, The New York Times reported.

Pascal is an avid supporter of the LGBTQ+ community and has been particularly vocal about trans womens’ rights since Lux came out in February 2021, People reported. He’s publicly stood by his sister amid her transition. According to LGBTQ+ outlet Them, Pascal has described Lux as “one of the most powerful people and personalities I’ve ever known.”

Lux, an actor and activist, graduated from The Juilliard School in New York City in 2023.

In February, Pascal took to Instagram to share his support of trans people with a photo of a poster that reads, “A world without trans people has never existed and never will.”

“I can’t think of anything more vile and small and pathetic than terrorizing the smallest, most vulnerable community of people who want nothing from you, except the right to exist,” Pascal wrote in a comment on the post.

Pascal also shared a video on his Instagram Stories at the time of Carla Antonelli, Spain’s first trans senator, who called out her colleagues for being anti-trans and “making our lives absolutely unbearable” while addressing Parliament, Ireland’s LGBTQ+ media outlet GCN reported. In addition to that clip, he shared a video of late trans activist Cecilia Gentili, including part of her speech at the New York University Lavender Graduation ceremony in 2023.

“Know who you are. Progress is inevitable,” Pascal wrote along with the video, referencing comments Gentili made.

A new report found that child welfare investigations in New York City disproportionately target low-income Black and Latino families. This has led them to lose or be denied employment. Research was conducted by legal advocacy group Legal Services NYC, who sifted through data from January 2020 through July 2022 from the city’s Administration for Children’s Services.

The report conducted by Legal Services NYC found that Black and Latino New Yorkers accounted for 81% of investigations, although they make up 48% of the city population.

“There’s an overpolicing now that’s occurring, that is disproportionately affecting Black and Hispanic folks in New York City and survivors of domestic violence,” Washcarina Martinez Alonzo, a senior staff attorney with Legal Services NYC, said in an interview with Gothamist.

Most instances of neglect are actually poverty

In 2022, over 70% of substantiated reports were categorized as neglect. However, some experts say that there is no difference between neglect of a child by failing to provide basic needs and instances of poverty.

Joyce McMillan, the executive director of the nonprofit JMAC for Families, told Gothamist that families are being penalized for being poor in most cases. For instance, investigations regarding neglect can be conducted over a crowded home, a lack of food in the home, or the use of candles over electricity because they can’t afford the bill.

“Once a family is investigated, they’re at risk of being separated,” McMillan said, adding that what they need is more support and money.

Reports of neglect can show up in background checks for eight years. It can bar some families from certain jobs involving children and hinder their ability to find employment.

Anyone can report allegations of domestic violence

The report found that 28% of investigations between 2020 and 2022 involved domestic violence. It also noted that anyone can report allegations of abuse and deploy local child welfare agencies to investigate. This system can be used to make false accusations, according to the report.

“Anybody can make this call. Your neighbor can make this call. Your landlord can make this call. Your abusive ex can make this call. Anybody can make it,” Martinez Alonzo said. “They don’t ask for the information of the folks making the report, and suddenly you get child welfare involvement in your life.”

In these instances, the consequences can be long-lasting, as reports for abuse can appear in background checks for 28 years.

“You can’t be an MTA bus driver, kids may be on your bus,” Martinez Alonzo. said. “You can’t work at an ice skating rink, you can’t work at a bowling alley, these are places where children may be. You can’t work at an amusement park, you can’t work in the library, you can’t be a janitor in a school.”

Three fraternity members charged in connection with the alleged hazing death of Caleb Wilson were expelled from Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.

Caleb McCray and Kyle Thurman were expelled via the Beta Sigma chapter, while Isaiah Smith was expelled via the Lambda Alpha chapter, according to WBRZ. Their names are listed on the organization’s website under the “Expelled Persons” directory.

The three members’ alleged involvement with Wilson’s death

McCray, Thurman and Smith were expelled following their alleged involvement in the death of Wilson, a Southern University student who died in March. Smith had the title of “Dean of Pledges” for the chapter and was in charge of the new members when Wilson died, according to WBRZ.

He and Thurman were charged with felony hazing, while McCray was charged with manslaughter and felony hazing.

Wilson died after attending an off-campus pledge event for the fraternity. He was allegedly punched in the chest as part of an initiation ritual, which led to a seizure and death.

Caleb Wilson’s family is raising awareness about hazing

Since Wilson’s death, his family has put up billboards across New Orleans to draw attention to the incident and hazing. The campaign started while Omega Psi Phi members are in the city for their Ninth District Meeting.

“Caleb Wilson. He had a future. Hazing took it away,” one sign reads, according to WWL Louisiana.

His family has been in touch with Louisiana State Representative Delisha Boyd, who introduced the Caleb Wilson Act to prevent hazing.

People reported that posts about the chilling discoveries began circulating on TikTok and X, formerly Twitter, after the bodies were found in March across six towns — four in Connecticut, one in Massachusetts and one in Rhode Island — within […]

Sharpe’s attorney said the lawsuit is ‘filled with lies, distortions, and misrepresentations‘ USA Today reported that attorneys for the woman, identified as “Jane Doe,” filed the lawsuit Sunday in Clark County, Nevada. According to the complaint, Sharpe allegedly used physical […]

A Black-led boycott against the retail giant Target will continue, announced three of the boycott’s organizers after meeting with members of the company’s leadership.

The announcement comes as Target continues to see the fallout of its decision to end diversity, equity and inclusion programs and efforts to support Black businesses as the company seeks to align itself with the Trump administration’s agenda.

Committee formed to coordinate efforts as Target boycott continues

“Target Fast” organizer Rev. Jamal Bryant, We Are Somebody founder Nina Turner and Until Freedom co-founder Tamika Mallory issued a joint statement Monday announcing that a boycott of Target stores will continue. The three leaders have been among the main voices calling on Black customers to avoid shopping at Target after the company announced in January that it was rolling back its DEI and pro-Black business initiatives to align with the Trump administration’s anti-DEI orders. Bryant had framed the boycott as a “Target Fast” to coincide with the fasting season of Lent that ended with Sunday’s Easter holiday.

The three leaders met with members of Target’s leadership, and while they left with the impression that “Target is feeling the power of our communities and wants this boycott to end,” they lamented that “we believe that Target CEO Brian Cornell remains unaware of the betrayal felt by our communities due to his company’s decision to cower to the Trump administration,” according to their statement. Given Target’s continued policy of distancing itself from DEI initiatives, the three organizers announced a continuation of the boycott and the creation of a Target Boycott Organizing Committee to facilitate clear communication between the company and the leaders of the boycott. The boycott is to continue until “Target reinstates diversity, equity, and inclusion programs by name to stand up to the Trump administration instead of bending to bigotry,” and the organizers pointed to companies like Costco that have maintained diversity efforts as examples to follow.

Target looking to reverse economic losses as boycott continues

The drama with Target began in January when, just days after President Donald Trump was inaugurated and began issuing anti-DEI orders, the company announced that it was ending its DEI efforts and its program to promote products from Black businesses. The announcement, reversing pledges the company made in 2020, led to multiple calls to boycott the store, including Bryant’s campaign. As Blavity previously reported, Target saw a significant decrease in foot traffic in its stores after the boycott was announced. Bryant and CNN reporter Victor Blackwell have also noted that Target’s stock shares have significantly dropped in value, noting a similar protest against Elon Musk’s Tesla as well.

Pastor Jamal Bryant, Nina Turner and Tamika Mallory announce that the Target boycott will continue after the 40-day Target ‘fast’ ended on Easter Sunday. pic.twitter.com/oNWoMAPR9h— Victor Blackwell CNN (@VictorBlackwell) April 22, 2025

With the boycott hitting Target’s bottom line, the company has been reaching out to members of the Black community; in addition to the meeting with Bryant, Turner and Mallory, Target CEO Brian Cornell recently sat down with National Action Network head Al Sharpton, who has supported but not been a leader of the boycott movement. So far, however, these efforts have not been enough to allay concerns from the Black community and allies that Target is abandoning its commitment to diversity in order to placate the Trump administration.

With the Trump administration continuing its heavy-handed efforts to push its agenda, including its anti-DEI platform, many companies and institutions have caved to these efforts while others resist the pressure coming from the White House. So far, Target has responded more to the pressure from the Trump administration than to the financial hardship created by customers going elsewhere, but with boycott efforts intensifying, it remains to be seen how much the company will lose and whether or not it will reverse its decision on diversity.

The family of Caleb Wilson, a student who died following an alleged hazing incident, is raising awareness about the issue. They rented billboards in New Orleans to draw attention to Wilson’s death and to hazing. Wilson, a Southern University student, died earlier this year after an alleged, unsanctioned Omega Psi Fraternity, Inc. initiation event for the Lambda Alpha chapter.

“Remember, while you celebrate… remember Caleb…” a billboard unveiled on Poydras Street on Thursday reads. It also includes a checklist with a single marked item: “Funeral and Burial.”

Caleb Wilson’s family is using billboards to raise awareness about hazing

The billboard was unveiled the same week members of Omega Psi Phi fraternity gathered for their annual district meeting.

“These billboards are a public declaration of our grief, our love, and our fight for justice,” the Wilson family said, according to FOX 8. “They speak to what Caleb lost—but also what the world lost. We want every student, parent, educator, and community member to understand the real cost of hazing. This is not tradition—it’s trauma. And we will not allow it to continue to go unchecked.”

A bill against hazing was introduced in Louisiana

State Representative Delisha Boyd has been in contact with the Wilson family since his death. She introduced the Caleb Wilson Act to the House Education Committee, which would require members of student organizations to take a hazing prevention course for a semester.

Boyd is hoping the billboards will raise awareness surrounding hazing and also send a message to members of the fraternity.

“No one from the fraternity has offered any condolences to the family,” she said.

“I hope that this billboard will somehow reach someone that will reach out to that family,” Boyd added. “If nothing else, just to send a note saying, ‘I understand, we’re with you. Let us know what we can do.

Pope Francis, leader of the Catholic Church for the past 12 years, died Monday at age 88 after a period of significant health challenges. Francis, whose background and social stances made him unique among popes, leaves behind a legacy of attempts to reorient the Catholic Church toward vulnerable populations, both internally and politically.

A history-making and unique pope

Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Argentina, Francis became pope in 2013 following the resignation of his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI. The BBC reported that his election made Francis the first Latin American pope in history and the first pope in centuries to take office while his predecessor was still alive. Francis was also the first pope to be a member of the Society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuits, a Catholic religious order known for its missionary work and public service; he adopted the name Francis in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, founder of the Franciscan religious order. According to The Associated Press, as pope, Francis embodied the humility and lack of self-aggrandizement represented by these religious orders; he lived in the Vatican hotel instead of the palatial Apostolic Palace, rode in a small car, and wore simple shoes instead of the traditional red loafers of previous popes.

Progressive social views caused controversy

As pope, Francis set a progressive tone for the Catholic Church, per The Guardian. Francis promoted greater incorporation of LGBTQ+ people, women and divorced Catholics into Church life and sometimes leadership positions. While he didn’t generally change official Church doctrine concerning these issues, his tone and willingness to interpret Catholic teachings in more inclusive ways were very different from his socially conservative predecessors. While not going far enough for some progressives, Francis’ social policies drew anger and opposition from many traditionalists in the Catholic Church, including the generally conservative contingent of United States bishops who sometimes questioned his policies and leadership, according to PBS. Francis’ relationship with the U.S. branch of the Church was not all negative, however. In 2020, he appointed Washington, D.C.’s Archbishop Wilton Gregory as the first Black American cardinal in the Catholic Church.

Francis and U.S. politics

Francis emphasized care for marginalized and vulnerable people, with a particular focus on refugees and the impoverished. His stances brought him into heated political debates around the world. Francis enjoyed a cordial relationship with President Barack Obama, Politico mentioned, with whom he agreed on issues such as addressing climate change and mass incarceration reform. Francis clashed with President Donald Trump during the latter’s first administration. CNN reported that Francis publicly criticized Trump’s pledge to build a border wall between the United States and Mexico.

“Those who build walls will become prisoners of the walls they put up,” the pope said.

Francis had a much closer relationship with President Joe Biden, the second Catholic president in U.S. history; during his final days in office, Biden awarded Francis the Presidential Medal of Freedom, NPR reported. Although Francis had been critical of the immigration policies of the current Trump administration, The Associated Press reported that the pope met briefly with Vice President JD Vance, also a Catholic, on Easter Sunday.

With the passing of Pope Francis, the Catholic Church and the world have lost one of its most prominent voices for progressivism and inclusivity. The process will start soon to choose a new pope who may continue the agenda set by Francis or attempt to forge a new path, but for now, world leaders and Catholic faithful across the globe are mourning Francis and acknowledging his legacy.