Walmart’s C.E.O. Had Plenty to Say About Trump. So Did His Customers (in Bloomington, IN).

Since the violence in Charlottesville, chief executives across corporate America have had to weigh the risks of taking a stand against the administration. Mr. McMillon himself, while harshly rebuking the president, initially opted not to step down from the Strategic and Policy Forum before it disbanded — an example of the delicate balance that corporate leaders try to strike when dealing with Mr. Trump.

On Wednesday, we spoke with customers at Walmart stores in three communities — Las Vegas; Bloomington, Ind.; and Union Township, N.J.

This is what they had to say about Walmart chief executive’s decision to weigh into the political fray this week.

Why are people still racist?

“The only way to change bias is to change culture,” Richeson said. “You have to change what is acceptable in society. People today complain about politically correct culture, but what that does is provide a check on people’s outward attitude, which in turn influences how we think about ourselves internally. Everything we’re exposed to gives us messages about who is good and bad.”

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Indianapolis looks to end compliance with immigration detainer requests

The Marion County Sheriff’s Office plans to drastically reduce its compliance with federal immigration detainer requests.

On Monday, attorneys for the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana and the city of Indianapolis filed a stipulated judgment (or settlement) and injunction to end the practice of holding people in jail without probable cause on behalf of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The agreement is expected to be signed by U.S. District Court Judge Sarah Evans Barker.

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At Least 18 Lynchings Took Place In Indiana By 1940

A national nonprofit organization says at least 18 lynchings took place in Indiana between 1880 and 1940, as part of more than 300 lynchings in eight states outside the deep south during that time.

The Equal Justice Initiative released a new report Tuesday outlining the history of racial terror lynchings in the United States.

“Racial terror lynchings were horrific acts of targeted violence against African Americans…by white mobs who murdered black people with no risk of accountability or punishment,” the report says.

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‘Kate’s Law’ battle shifts to the Senate, testing Dems

The fight over immigration enforcement is moving to the Senate, where Democratic opposition will be tested.

The House passed a pair of immigration bills late last week: “Kate’s Law” to increase maximum penalties for criminal aliens who attempt to re-enter the country, and a second bill cutting funding to cities that refuse to comply with federal immigration laws.

Republicans got an unexpected boost when two-dozen House Democrats voted for “Kate’s Law,” viewed by GOP supporters as a first step toward implementing President Trump’s campaign promises on immigration.

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Hispanic, Asian numbers increase

Despite anti-immigration rhetoric surrounding political campaigns, Indiana’s Hispanic population continues to grow, though not as fast as in past years.

And while its numbers are still relatively small, the Asian population continues to be the fastest-growing ethnic group in the state and nation, according to recently released census population estimates.

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Continuing School Segregation in Indiana

Segregation between white students and students of color in Indiana remains high, according to a new analysis from Indiana University.

This is true even as Indiana sees a growing share of non-white students. IU’s Center for Evaluation and Education Policy conducted the study along with the Civil Rights Project at UCLA.

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“It is important for Hoosiers to recognize that research shows that segregated schools are systematically unequal,” said Gary Orfield, UCLA professor and co-director of the Civil Rights Project. “History shows that Indiana did much more about this problem before the courts withdrew and needs to think again about positive strategies.”

The most decorated US WWI veteran from Texas was actually a Mexican immigrant

On April 26, 1896, in Chihuahua, Mexico, Marcelino Serna was born into a very poor family.  He left home at the age of twenty, and crossed the border into the United States, traveling to El Paso, Texas to find a job and improve his life.  Since he didn’t speak English, he had to take low-paying jobs and was soon working in Denver, Colorado on a sugar beet farm.

When the United States declared war on Germany in April 1917, Serna was in Denver working with a group of men who were picked up by federal officers checking the draft status of potential soldiers.  To prevent his deportation to Mexico, Serna volunteered to join the Army.

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These robotics students were told ‘to go back to Mexico.’

Just a few months ago, not many knew about these five fourth-graders from a low-income community in Indianapolis.

But now, the Panther Bots, a thriving robotics team at Pleasant Run Elementary School, have become the face of a success story about a group of kids who were taunted with racial slurs but were too determined to let that affect their confidence. Earlier this month, they found themselves being honored on the Senate floor of the Indiana Statehouse. The group travels to Louisville on Sunday to compete in a worldwide robotics contest.

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