Month: February 2026

The Rev. Jesse Jackson, the Baptist minister and longtime civil rights advocate who twice pursued the Democratic nomination for president, has died at 84. His family said he passed away peacefully Tuesday morning, surrounded by loved ones.

In a statement, Jackson’s family reflected on his global reach and enduring mission: “Our father was a servant leader — not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world … We shared him with the world, and in return, the world became part of our extended family. His unwavering belief in justice, equality, and love uplifted millions, and we ask you to honor his memory by continuing the fight for the values he lived by.”

Born Jesse Louis Burns on Oct. 8, 1941, in Greenville, South Carolina, Jackson grew up in poverty in the segregated South. After his mother married Charles Jackson, he took his stepfather’s surname. A strong student and athlete, he attended the University of Illinois on a football scholarship before transferring to North Carolina A&T. He later studied at Chicago Theological Seminary and was ordained in 1968. As a young activist, Jackson joined the inner circle of Martin Luther King Jr. and worked with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. He led Operation Breadbasket, pushing corporations to hire and promote Black workers, and participated in pivotal moments of the civil rights era, including the Selma marches and the 1963 March on Washington. He was in Memphis when King was assassinated in 1968.

After leaving the SCLC in 1971, Jackson founded Operation PUSH (People United to Save Humanity) in Chicago, focused on economic empowerment. He later launched the National Rainbow Coalition, advocating for a broad alliance of marginalized communities, including LGBTQIA+ Americans. The two groups eventually merged into the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, which he led for decades before stepping down in 2023, saying, “We’re resigning, we’re not retiring.”

Jackson’s activism also extended internationally: he spoke out against apartheid in South Africa, supported Palestinian statehood, and negotiated the release of hostages and prisoners in countries including Lebanon, Cuba, Syria, Iraq and Yugoslavia. Jackson transformed his grassroots movement into political campaigns in 1984 and 1988. In 1984, he finished third in the Democratic primaries; in 1988, he placed second to Michael Dukakis, winning 12 contests and earning nearly 7 million votes. His bids marked the strongest presidential primary performances by a Black candidate at the time, building on the earlier campaign of Shirley Chisholm and paving the way for Barack Obama two decades later.

Though controversies — including remarks about Jewish communities and associations with Louis Farrakhan — affected his campaigns, Jackson remained a powerful voice in national politics. He later served as a shadow senator for Washington, D.C., from 1991 to 1997, advocating for statehood. In 2000, President Bill Clinton awarded Jackson the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 2021, French President Emmanuel Macron named him a Commander of the Legion of Honor. Jackson also authored two books, Straight from the Heart (1987) and Legal Lynching: Racism, Injustice, and the Death Penalty (1995), and received dozens of honorary degrees.

Leaders from both parties praised his legacy –

• Former President Joe Biden called him “a man of God and of the people,” describing him as “Determined and tenacious. Unafraid of the work to redeem the soul of our Nation.” He added that Jackson “influenced generations of Americans” and believed deeply in equality.
• The Rev. Al Sharpton remembered Jackson as “a consequential and transformative leader who changed this nation and the world,” writing, “He shaped public policy and changed laws. He kept the dream alive and taught young children from broken homes, like me, that we don’t have broken spirits.”
• Vice President Kamala Harris said, “He let us know our voices mattered. He instilled in us that we were somebody. And he widened the path for generations to follow in his footsteps and lead,” calling him “one of America’s greatest patriots.”
• President Donald Trump said in a post on Truth Social:  “The Reverend Jesse Jackson is Dead at 84. I knew him well, long before becoming President. He was a good man, with lots of personality, grit, and “street smarts,” while later adding “he loved his family greatly, and to them I send my deepest sympathies and condolences. Jesse will be missed!”

In recent years, Jackson had faced mounting health challenges. Initially diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2017, doctors later determined he was living with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a rare degenerative neurological disorder. He was hospitalized several times, including for complications related to PSP, a fall during a protest, gallbladder surgery, and COVID-19. Despite describing Parkinson’s as a “physical challenge,” he continued advocating for social justice.

Married to Jacqueline Jackson since 1962, he is survived by six children, including former Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. and Congressman Jonathan Jackson. Public memorials are planned in Chicago.

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New details emerged in the shooting at a high school hockey game in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, which ended in tragedy Monday afternoon when a gunman opened fire inside the Dennis M. Lynch Arena, killing two people and critically injuring three others before taking his own life, authorities said.

Police were dispatched to the arena around 2:30 p.m. after reports of an active shooter during a senior night matchup featuring teams from Blackstone Valley Schools and Coventry-Johnston. When officers arrived, they found one victim dead inside the rink; a second later died at a hospital. The three additional victims were transported in critical condition with gunshot wounds.

Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves identified the suspect as Robert Dorgan, 56, who she said also used the name Roberta and the last name Esposito. According to police, Dorgan had come to the arena to watch a relative play. A federal law enforcement source described the shooting as a domestic violence incident, stating that the gunman killed his wife and shot three of his children before dying at the scene from what investigators described as a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Goncalves said the violence was a “targeted” act tied to a family conflict. Chief Goncalves credited a bystander with preventing further bloodshed. “A Good Samaritan stepped in and interjected in this scene, and that’s probably what led to a swift end of this tragic event,” she said, noting the individual attempted to subdue the shooter.

The game, which was being livestreamed, captured the chaos. Though the gunfire itself was not visible on the wide-angle video, roughly a dozen shots can be heard. Spectators fled the stands while players ducked for cover before rushing off the ice as the shooting continued. The streaming platform later restricted access to the footage.

Court records cited by local outlet WPRI-TV indicate Dorgan had a history of family disputes, including tensions related to gender identity. Documents show he previously reported undergoing gender-reassignment surgery and claimed it had caused conflict within the family. Divorce filings from 2021 initially referenced “gender reassignment surgery, narcissistic + personality disorder traits” before being amended to “irreconcilable differences.” At the time, records listed him as a Florida-based truck driver.

Mayor Donald Grebien called the shooting “a terrible tragedy,” saying what should have been a celebration instead became a scene of fear and loss. “Pawtucket is a strong and resilient community, but tonight we are a city in mourning,” he said, pledging support for affected families and cooperation with state investigators.

Schools involved in the matchup confirmed their students were safe. Coventry Public Schools Superintendent Don Cowart said all Coventry players were accounted for, while Providence Country Day School and St. Raphael Academy also reported their students were unharmed. In response to the incident, the Rhode Island Interscholastic League announced it would temporarily halt all interscholastic games. “During this extremely difficult time, the RIIL has made the decision to temporarily suspend all interscholastic games out of respect for the victims and to reflect upon this senseless act of violence.”

Federal agents from the ATF and FBI assisted local and state authorities at the scene. Investigators recovered multiple firearms, though officials have not released details about the weapons.

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Minnesota’s top investigative agency says the FBI has formally declined to provide evidence or information in the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti, a decision state leaders are calling highly unusual.

Pretti, an intensive care nurse, was shot and killed by federal agents on Jan. 24 in south Minneapolis while observing their activity. Video recorded by bystanders appears to show him filming agents with his phone before a confrontation escalated. During a struggle, gunfire erupted. The Department of Homeland Security has claimed Pretti approached agents with a weapon and “violently resisted,” an account his family has denounced as “sickening lies.”

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension announced that it was notified the FBI would not grant access to materials related to Pretti’s death. Superintendent Drew Evans described the lack of cooperation as “concerning and unprecedented.” Evans said: While this lack of cooperation is concerning and unprecedented, the BCA is committed to thorough, independent and transparent investigations of these incidents, even if hampered by a lack of access to key information and evidence. Our agency has committed to the FBI and Department of Justice that should its stance change we remain willing to share information that we have obtained with that agency and would welcome a joint investigation. We will continue to pursue all legal avenues to gain access to relevant information and evidence.”

The FBI has also declined to share evidence in the fatal shooting of Renee Good and in the case involving a Venezuelan national, Julio Sosa-Celis. State officials say they have repeatedly requested cooperation in all three investigations without success.

In the immediate aftermath of Pretti’s death, federal agents reportedly prevented BCA investigators from collecting evidence at the scene. The BCA briefly secured a restraining order to block the Department of Homeland Security from altering or destroying materials, but a federal judge lifted that order days later.

Hennepin County Attorney’s Office confirmed it plans to send a formal written demand for evidence in the Pretti case to the U.S. Departments of Justice and Homeland Security. County Attorney Mary Moriarty said the refusal to cooperate signals deeper concerns. “We appreciate the BCA’s efforts in pursuing a joint investigation with the federal government, as is the norm,” Moriarty said. “The federal government’s refusal to cooperate is unsurprising but provides a clear indication that they are not confident in their agents’ actions or their immediate response.”

Pretti’s family has also urged federal and state authorities to conduct a joint inquiry. “Justice and accountability requires a thorough and impartial investigation to establish the facts. A truly joint state and federal investigation would be a welcome development,” they said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Democratic members of the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform have accused the Trump administration of attempting to conceal wrongdoing in the deaths of Good and Pretti.

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Jury selection and opening statements began Monday in the case against Colin Gray, the father of the teenager accused of carrying out the 2024 mass shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia. The shooting left four people dead: teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53, along with students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14. Several others were injured.

Gray, 55, has pleaded not guilty to multiple charges tied to the Sept. 4 attack, including two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of involuntary manslaughter, cruelty to children and reckless conduct. Prosecutors allege he allowed his 14-year-old son, Colt Gray, access to the AR-15-style rifle used in the shooting — a weapon they say he purchased for the teen as a Christmas gift. Colt Gray, now 16, is being tried separately as an adult and has pleaded not guilty to dozens of charges, including felony murder and attempted murder.

Barrow County District Attorney Brad Smith told jurors the case centers not on parenting in general, but on specific decisions made after clear warning signs. “This is not a case about holding parents accountable for what their children do. That’s not what this case is about,” Smith said. “This case is about this defendant and his actions — his actions in allowing a child that he has custody over access to a firearm and ammunition after being warned that child was going to harm others.”

According to prosecutors, school officials, counselors and law enforcement had previously raised concerns about Colt’s troubling behavior, including alleged threats to carry out a school shooting. Authorities interviewed the father and son more than a year before the attack but did not file charges at the time, citing insufficient evidence tying the teen to online threats.

Smith said the jury will hear that Colt had shown an interest in prior mass shootings and kept disturbing materials in his bedroom. He also cited text messages sent to his father days before the attack, including one in which the teen wrote, “I have to kind of dance around the inconvenient truth at times, I have no control over what these things say and tell me to do.” Despite those red flags, prosecutors contend the rifle remained accessible in the boy’s room.

Defense attorney Brian Hobbs acknowledged the devastation caused by the attack but argued that hindsight cannot be used to assign criminal blame. “What happened at Apalachee High School was tragic, it was horrific, it was terrifying and it was heartbreaking. Nothing said in this courtroom can change that,” Hobbs told jurors, maintaining that Colt concealed his plans and mental state from those around him, including his father: “The evidence will show a teenager who is struggling mentally. A teenager who is deceptive,” Hobbs said. “A teenager who hid his true intentions from everyone — from his family, from his counselor, from his siblings, from DFCS, from law enforcement and most especially from his father.” Hobbs argued that while the outcome was catastrophic, the prosecution must prove that Colin Gray knew — or should have known — his son would commit violence.

If convicted on all counts, Colin Gray faces the possibility of decades in prison.

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