Coal mine explosion in China kills 90 people

A gas explosion at a coal mine in China’s northern Shanxi province killed at least 90 people, state media said on Saturday, in the country’s deadliest mining accident in recent years. Official news agency Xinhua said the accident at Changzhi city’s Liushenyu coal mine happened on Friday evening. Around 247 workers were on duty at the time. Nine miners were still unaccounted for as of Saturday afternoon, Xinhua said, and more than 120 people were hospitalized. The cause of the explosion was under investigation, Xinhua reported, and rescue work is pressing on with hundreds of rescuers and medical personnel sent to the site. Among the injured, many were hurt by toxic gas, according to state media CCTV. Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for an all-out effort to rescue the missing, reported Xinhua. Xi also called for the “proper handling of the aftermath of the accident and urged a thorough investigation into its cause, with accountability pursued in accordance wi...

Black History Month: The history of Dred and Harriet Scott sits right in downtown St. Louis

ST. LOUIS - A huge piece of history sits right in downtown St. Louis, and even more emphasis has been placed on preserving the stories that played out at the old courthouse. Dred and Harriet Scott sued for their freedom on the same grounds where slaves were once auctioned off on the front steps.

The ruling led to the Civil War, which ultimately resulted in the abolition of slavery. In that courthouse, the fight for freedom for Dred and Harriet Scott continued for around a decade. Dred and Harriet filed separate lawsuits for freedom in St. Louis based on two Missouri statutes.

The court ruled against both cases in 1847, though a judge granted a retrial. In 1850, Dred and Harriet won their case for freedom, but an appeal reversed the decision in 1852, making Scott and his family slaves again. Scott was finally freed, but not through a court case.

The back-and-forth battle continued, making the Dred Scott v. Sandford case a landmark pre-Civil War court case. In recent years, a project to renovate and expand on the significance of the case and the court has been underway.  

The Old Missouri Courthouse is expected to reopen in 2025 with renovations that will dedicate a new exhibit to Dred and Harriet Scott - a nod to the family's persistent fight for freedom and St. Louis' role in the historic court proceedings.  



from FOX 2 https://ift.tt/wGhuD6y

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