Common Core State Standard
SL.CCS.1/2/3/4 Grades 6-12: An essay of a current news event is provided for discussion to encourage participation, but also inspire the use of evidence to support logical claims using the main ideas of the article. Students must analyze background information provided about a current event within the news, draw out the main ideas and key details, and review different opinions on the issue. Then, students should present their own claims using facts and analysis for support. FOR THE WEEK OF MAY 04, 2015 Baltimore works to address tensions over a man’s death in police custody
 What's new this week, as reported in coverage from Baltimore?
 Read a local reaction in a column, editorial or letter to the editor. Identify a statement you agree with.
 Now look for a report about police-community relations elsewhere, or any law enforcement topic. Is it mostly positive or negative?
Frustration and anger over a Baltimore man's death in police custody sparked looting, arson and several nights of unrest in that Maryland city last week. A curfew and National Guard troops helped restore order. Tensions eased when six police officers were arrested Friday on criminal charges in the April 19 death of Freddie Gray, 25, whose spinal cord was injured after he was arrested for having a knife. A daytime rally Saturday in downtown Baltimore drew thousands of peaceful participants. The city's 10 p.m. curfew was lifted Sunday, five days after being imposed. Marches in other cities also showed concern about the latest U.S. case of a black suspect’s death in a police encounter. "We all feel threatened,” the Rev. Jesse Jackson said at Gray’s funeral last week. "All of our sons are at risk." In a New York Times column Sunday, Nicholas Kristoff writes: "The eruptions in Baltimore have been tied, in complex ways, to frustrations at American inequality.” Charges against the half-dozen officers transporting Gray in a van April 12 were filed by city prosecutor Marilyn Mosby (video below), who’s black and was elected last November. “I work to deliver justice on behalf of this young man," says Mosby, whose grandfather and parents were police officers. "Let's ensure that we have peaceful and productive rallies that will develop structural and systemic changes for generations to come." The local police union's president calls her action "an apparent rush to judgment," and the union's attorney comments: "No officer injured Mr. Gray, caused harm to Mr. Gray, and they are truly saddened by his death."
Front Page Talking Points is written by
Alan Stamm for NIEonline.com, Copyright 2025
Front Page Talking Points Archive►Mideast clashes spark fears Iran may block vital Strait of Hormuz trade route ►Typewriters aren't bygone relics: Old-school desktop devices gain new-generation users ►Deportation protests: Soldiers on the streets of L.A. pose a test of presidential power ►Hurricane season arrives and it could be more active than usual – 'a worrisome trend' ►New concerns increase appeal of European colleges for U.S. students ►White House signals possible challenge to a key legal right – court hearings before deportation ►Undersea warning sign: Coral bleaching spreads, weakening or killing vital tropical reefs ►Federal vaccine testing change concerns some medical experts ►Courts try to halt rushed removals of alleged gang members, testing presidential powers |
Mayor says: "There will be justice for Mr. Gray, there will be justice for his family and there will be justice for the city of Baltimore." -- Stephanie Rawlings-Blake