Errin Haines Whack, Author at Valley News

Robert F. Smith, left, laughs with David Thomas, center, and actress Angela Bassett at Morehouse College on Sunday, May 19, 2019, in Atlanta. Smith, a billionaire technology investor and philanthropist, said he will provide grants to wipe out the student debt of the entire graduating class at Morehouse College - an estimated $40 million. Smith, this year's commencement speaker, made the announcement Sunday morning while addressing nearly 400 graduating seniors of the all-male historically black college in Atlanta. (Bo Emerson/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)

Morehouse College commencement speaker promises to pay student debt of graduates

by Errin Haines Whack AP National WriterMay 19, 2019

A billionaire technology investor stunned the entire graduating class at Morehouse College when he announced at their commencement Sunday that he would pay off their student loans — estimated at $40 million.Robert F. Smith, this year’s commencement…

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Sean Newcomb (15) is shown during batting practice before of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins Monday, July 30, 2018 in Atlanta. Newcomb apologized Sunday for racist, homophobic and sexist tweets he sent as a teenager, calling them "some stupid stuff." "I definitely regret it, for sure," he said. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Tweet Sharers Expose ‘Toxic’ Culture

by Errin Haines Whack AP National WriterAugust 10, 2018

FILE – This undated file photo of a frame from video provided by the John Fetterman for Lieutenant Governor campaign shows Antwon Rose Jr. in a campaign announcement. The fatal police shooting of Rose as he fled during a traffic stop on June 19, 2018, is the first in the Pittsburgh area in the Black Lives Matter era, and it is galvanizing residents who say they’ve been frustrated for too long. (John Fetterman for Lieutenant Governor via AP, File)

Teen’s Police Killing Tests Long-Frustrated Pittsburgh

by Errin Haines Whack AP National WriterJuly 1, 2018

Martin Luther King III, right, and Rev. Al Sharpton, second from right, join in a march commemorating the anniversary of the assassination of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Wednesday, April 4, 2018, in Memphis, Tenn. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated April 4, 1968, while in Memphis supporting striking sanitation workers. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Thousands March to ‘Keep the Dream Going’

by Errin Haines Whack Associated Press, and Adrian Sainz And Kate Brumback Associated PressApril 4, 2018

FILE - In this July 30, 2015 file photo, a man walks past a corner where a victim of a shooting was discovered in Baltimore. In a city that became emblematic of police abuse, excessive force and callous treatment of young black men, Baltimore's mayor and commissioner say they are eager and ready to change not only the culture of law enforcement, but the practice. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

Rights Groups Worry About Police Reform

by Errin Haines Whack Associated Press, and Sadie Gurman Associated PressApril 4, 2017

A mail carrier passes a closed bakery Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017, in south Philadelphia's Italian Market. In an action called "A Day Without Immigrants", immigrants across the country are expected to stay home from school and work on Thursday to show how critical they are to the U.S. economy and way of life. (AP Photo/Jacqueline Larma)

Day Without Immigrants

by Errin Haines Whack Associated PressFebruary 16, 2017

In this photo taken Jan. 16, 2016, Charles Phillips, 58, looks at an exhibit at the Smithsonian National Museum of African-American History in Washington. Phillips and other black visitors said they came to the museum on the Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday to mark the end of President Barack Obama’s historic term. Obama, the nation’s first black president, leaves office on Friday. (AP Photo/Errin Haines Whack)

Obama Era Concludes

by Errin Haines Whack Associated PressJanuary 19, 2017

Philadelphia police Officer Eric Tyler poses for a photograph, Thursday, May 26, 2016, in Philadelphia. Tyler was recognized for using a stun gun instead of a real gun on a suspect who threatened to shoot his colleague in February. Tyler, who has never shot anyone in his 12-year career, said he considered using deadly force but made a split-second decision not to. More than 40 Philadelphia officers have received awards since December for defusing conflicts without shooting, clubbing or otherwise using maximum force against anyone. The awards reflect an increasing emphasis on “de-escalation” in police work. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Officers Rewarded For Showing Restraint

by Errin Haines Whack Associated PressJune 1, 2016