Civil Rights Archives - Page 4 of 15 - The Space Coast Rocket

Brevard Public Schools

Brevard Community Hosts “Stand with Calhoun Rally” Ahead of Key School Board Vote

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April 17, 2025

Agriculture

USDA scholarship for students at historically Black colleges suspended

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February 23, 2025

Civil Rights

Palm Bay City Councilman Says Muslims Don’t Belong in the United States

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February 2, 2025

Civil Rights

Trump Pardons 1500 Defendants in Jan 6 Charges and Commutes sentences for 6

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January 20, 2025

Civil Rights

Controversy Erupts Over Biden’s Commutation of 37 of 40 Federal Death Sentences

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December 24, 2024

1st Amendment

Kindergartener’s petition to “bring back strawberry milk” to Freedom 7 Elementary gains traction

Robert W. Burns III -

December 6, 2024

1st Amendment

Will You Join Bluesky? What’s behind the “X”odus to This New Social Platform

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November 16, 2024

1st Amendment

Selective Justice? Brevard County’s Double Standard on Political Sign Theft Sparks Outcry Over Free Speech and Fair Enforcement

Robert W. Burns III -

October 31, 2024

1st Amendment

Federal Court Rules in Favor of Moms for Liberty, Strikes Down Brevard School Board’s Speech Restrictions”

Robert W. Burns III -

October 13, 2024

Civil Rights

G&G Roofing owner pleads guilty to human trafficking charges including children; smuggled at least 98 migrants, mostly Haitian

Robert W. Burns III -

September 20, 2024

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Facebook Posts

The Space Coast Rocket

44 minutes ago

Ashley Moody goes after Angie Nixon wanting to lock her up over Hope Florida scandal."A communist ploy they have used time and time again to try and come after their political opponentsThey have nothing to run on except obstruction. They just make stuff up" ...

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The Space Coast Rocket

1 hour ago

Please look carefully at this video, which shows what was happening in the moments before a shooting that killed 18-year-old Jordan Lecky. Parents, especially of teens in northeast Orange County or Seminole County, please watch this carefully with your teenagers to see if they can identify anyone in the video. An 18-year-old is dead, and dozens of people were right there when it happened. Someone saw something. We need people to come forward to help us find the person who pulled the trigger.Just after 11 p.m. on October 17, deputies responded to the Lakeside Villas apartments at 7950 Shoals Dr. for a noise complaint about a group of nearly 100 people, mostly in their late teens, who had congregated near the pool area behind the leasing office.As the first responding deputy was approaching, he activated his lights and sirens to disperse the crowd. Several partygoers began to scatter in response – and just as that happened, the responding deputy heard a single gunshot coming from behind the leasing office. That deputy discovered a young man, later identified as Jordan Lecky, unresponsive and suffering from a gunshot wound. He was rushed to the hospital, where he died on October 19. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones, and our detectives want desperately to solve this case.Although dozens of people were there when the gunshot rang out, only two witnesses stayed behind to meet with deputies. They told detectives a fight broke out and then a single gunshot went off, striking Jordan.While reviewing available video of the fight, it became clear to detectives that at least a dozen bystanders were taking video of the fight with their phones. We know someone saw something that could help detectives solve this case, and we need them to come forward.Anyone with information – no matter how insignificant it may seem – please contact the OCSO non-emergency line at 407-836-4357 or Crimeline at 800-423-TIPS. If you have any video from the fight, or the moments leading up to or after the gunshot, our detectives would like to review it. You can upload video directly through this link: orangecountysheriffsofficefl.evidence.com/axon/community-request/public/shoalsdrive101726 ...

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The Space Coast Rocket

2 hours ago

President Trump and Vice President JD Vance on Tuesday unveiled a $25 million program that will pay Americans up to $30,000 for tips that lead to fraud convictions or significant federal enforcement actions.The Fraud Whistleblower Incentive Program, or WHIP, will be run by the Justice Department, with tips submitted through fraud.gov. Submitting a tip alone does not qualify someone for a reward. The tip must lead to a conviction or a major enforcement action.During the Oval Office event, President Trump also described the payouts as a 1% commission on the fraud a tip uncovers and said he would personally decide who gets paid when more than one person claims credit. The White House has said individual awards are capped at $30,000.President Trump also presented a $10,000 check to Nick Shirley, the online content creator whose videos alleging fraud at Somali-run daycares in Minnesota prompted federal law enforcement surges there. The White House did not say whether that payment was tied to a conviction.Federal law already rewards people who expose fraud against the government. Under the False Claims Act, whistleblowers who file lawsuits on the government's behalf receive 15% to 30% of whatever is recovered, with no cap. In fiscal year 2025, those whistleblowers collected more than $330 million in awards, more than 13 times WHIP's entire $25 million fund. The government recovered a record $6.8 billion under the law that year, including $5.3 billion from whistleblower-initiated cases. Unlike WHIP's online tip system, False Claims Act cases require a whistleblower to file a civil lawsuit, typically with an attorney.The Treasury Department and IRS also run whistleblower programs that pay tipsters a percentage of the money recovered, up to 30%.The announcement comes in a term in which President Trump has granted clemency to dozens of people convicted of or charged with fraud. A review of the Justice Department's official list of second-term clemency grants shows at least 40 people whose cases included fraud charges have received pardons or commutations since January 2025: 32 pardons and 8 commutations.Among them: reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley (bank fraud), former Congressman George Santos (wire fraud, sentence commuted), Nikola founder Trevor Milton (securities and wire fraud), and South Florida health care executive Lawrence Duran, whose 50-year sentence in a health care fraud case carrying $87.5 million in restitution was commuted.Many of those grants also wiped out millions of dollars in court-ordered restitution meant to repay victims. Devon Archer's pardon canceled more than $43 million he owed. Siblings Adriana and Andres Camberos were relieved of nearly $50 million in restitution. The Chrisleys' pardon was expected to erase about $17.8 million owed to banks. Jason Galanis, whose commutation barred any further restitution on roughly $80 million owed, went to court seeking the return of about $2 million he had already paid. A federal judge denied that request.House Judiciary Committee Democrats estimate President Trump's clemency has erased nearly $1.7 billion in restitution, fines and forfeitur#fraudd#Pardonsi#whipd taxpayers.#Fraud #Pardons #WHIP ...

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The Space Coast Rocket

2 hours ago

Brevard’s NPA and independent voters are falling behind, and they may be the ones who decide this election.After two days of early voting, 51,797 Brevard voters have cast a ballot by mail or in person. That is 11.6% of the county’s 447,257 registered voters.Turnout so far, by party:Democrats: 16.4%Republicans: 10.9%NPA (no party affiliation): 8.5%More than 107,000 Brevard voters are registered with no party. They make up 24% of the electorate, nearly one in four voters. So far they have cast only 18% of the ballots.Many of them call themselves independents. Neither party can count on their vote, and that is why they matter. In close races for Congress, the Florida House, County Commission, School Board and city councils across Brevard, NPA and independent voters are large enough to swing the outcome. If they show up, they can decide who wins.If you are an NPA or independent voter, this election is yours to decide. Early voting is open every day through Saturday, Oct. 31. Find early voting locations and hours, or check the status of your mail ballot, at votebrevard.gov. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.#BrevardVotes #Florida2026 #SpaceCoast ...

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The Space Coast Rocket

4 hours ago

UPDATE: This post has been updated to correct who organized the vigil and who it is intended for.Students will gather this Thursday, October 22, at 7 p.m. at Ballard Park in Melbourne for a vigil honoring Hunter Russey, the 14-year-old West Melbourne teen who died after police say he was intentionally struck while riding an e-bike last week.The vigil was organized by Hunter's classmates and friends, and it is intended as a gathering for the students who knew him. We previously reported that an adult had organized the event and that the public was invited. That was incorrect, and we regret the error.Hunter was taken off life support on Saturday, October 17, and his family chose to donate his organs. Kavan Vishnubhai Patel, 32, is now charged with second-degree murder in his death and is being held at the Brevard County Jail without bond.Our thoughts are with Hunter's family, friends, and cla#hunterrusseyn#melbourne##brevardcountyvardCounty ...

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