Hajah Bah

1 week ago | firstcoastnews.com | Hajah Bah

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A divided Jacksonville City Council has passed a controversial ordinance aimed at restricting the use of city funds to provide services for "undocumented" immigrants. The ordinance, which passed in an 11-to-7 vote after hours of debate and five last-minute amendments, has sparked strong reactions from both supporters and critics across the city. The measure prohibits city grant dollars from being used by organizations that knowingly offer services to undocumented immigrants.

1 week ago | firstcoastnews.com | Hajah Bah

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — From downtown to the Southside, demonstrators in Jacksonville joined a nationwide wave of protests Saturday for “No Kings Day” — a coordinated day of action aimed at rejecting authoritarianism and defending democratic values. Protesters gathered outside the Duval County Courthouse and at the intersection of Beach Boulevard and Hodges Boulevard, carrying signs, chanting and calling for change. “It’s time for everybody to stand up,” protester Maryland Wells said.

2 weeks ago | yahoo.com | Malcolm Harvey |Hajah Bah

Survivors of the deadly Sapelo Island gangway collapse in Georgia announced a civil action lawsuit against the parties involved in its engineering and construction. On Oct. 19, 2024, more than 20 people fell into the Duplin River when the gangway collapsed on Sapelo Island during a Cultural Day celebration. Seven people were killed and more than a dozen were injured.

2 weeks ago | firstcoastnews.com | Hajah Bah

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. — A quiet Clay County neighborhood was the scene of an intense SWAT standoff overnight Tuesday that ended with one person taken into custody and left neighbors shaken. The incident happened in the Cross Creek subdivision on Cold Stream Lane, where Clay County deputies and a SWAT team responded just after midnight. Officials urged residents to shelter in place and, in some cases, evacuate their homes.

2 weeks ago | firstcoastnews.com | Hajah Bah

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Dozens gathered in Downtown Jacksonville on Saturday demanding the release of Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University student and political activist who has been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) since March. Khalil was taken into custody shortly after publicly speaking out against the war in Gaza. His supporters say his detention is politically motivated and part of a growing crackdown on activists voicing criticism of U.S. foreign policy.