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"Just devastating."
That's how Meghan Markle, The Duchess of Sussex, described returning to America in the midst of a national reckoning on race. But as peaceful protests proliferated after the killing of George Floyd, Meghan found inspiration.
Now, she said, "it's good to be home."
(Watch and read about The 19th* interview with Democratic VP contender U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris, who spoke about Joe Biden's "audacity" in choosing a black woman as his running mate, during Friday's summit wrap up.)
Markle's remarks — made in one of her first sit-down conversations since returning to the United States — were part of a Friday interview for The 19th Represents Summit, a week of virtual conversations with leading women in politics and public policy.
For this conversation, Markle was in the interviewer's seat, talking with The 19th's co-founder and CEO, Emily Ramshaw, about the role of gender in media and why Ramshaw started the new nonprofit newsroom earlier this year. But Meghan did answer a few questions from Ramshaw, reflecting on her lived experiences as a biracial woman and mother coming home to a troubled nation.
"It was so sad to see where our country was in that moment," Markle said of her homecoming, which occurred just before the killings of Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor. "If there's any silver lining in that, I would say that in the weeks after the murder of George Floyd, in the peaceful protests that you were seeing, in the voices that were coming out, in the way that people were actually owning their role … it shifted from sadness to a feeling of absolute inspiration, because I can see that the tide is turning."
Markle and Harry, Duke of Sussex, announced in January that they would step away from their roles as senior royals and move to North America, escaping intense and often invasive attention from the British press. They settled in Meghan's native California in March.
"From my standpoint, it's not new to see this undercurrent of racism and certainly unconscious bias, but I think to see the changes that are being made right now is really — it's something I look forward to being a part of," Markle said. "And being part of using my voice in a way that I haven't been able to of late. So, yeah, it's good to be home."
During the conversation, Markle expressed enthusiasm for The 19th's mission and vision, remarking on the newsroom's launch during a pandemic: "You just took that jump and you took that leap of faith. And I think there's so much we can all learn from that, that in those moments where it might feel scary, you just need to trust your gut."
Markle also stressed her desire for more high-quality journalism, saying she and her husband routinely point to an "economy of attention" in media that rewards the salacious over the truthful. (She is currently involved in a lawsuit against Associated Newspapers, which published the contents of a private letter she sent to her father.)
"What's so fascinating, at least from my standpoint and my personal experience the past couple of years, is that the headline alone, the clickbait alone, makes an imprint," Markle said. "That is part of how we start to view the world, how we interact with other people."
With the November election fast-approaching, Markle stressed that voting is "incredibly important" to her; she said she's even been talking to feminist icon Gloria Steinem about it. Markle encouraged people not to take suffrage for granted, noting that her husband has never been able to vote."
People are craving a change," she said. "In the place we're all in right now, there's such a moment where people are starting to question the systems we've always believed in."
She mentioned The 19th's launch's parallel to next week's suffrage centennial, pointing out that the word "suffragette" was intended as a pejorative when it first appeared in a British newspaper more than a century ago.
"This term, coined by one man in 1906, has stuck as part of a movement," she explained.
"When you look at that, and look through that lens of the power of one person's influence in the media to be able to shape an entire movement or way of thinking … If women had their voice heard as equally, how different that would have been."
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APD is searching for suspect Stephen Broderick.
Austin police lifted the shelter in place order after searching the area around 9600 block of Great Hills Trail near the Arboretum for a 41-year-old man named Stephen Broderick, who they believe is responsible for shooting and ultimately killing three people in Northwest Austin
As of 5 p.m., the suspect is still at large and considered to be armed and dangerous, though police do not believe he is actively targeting anyone else. During a press briefing at 4:45 on Sunday, APD Interim police Chief Joseph Chacon said they are switching the search from the immediate area to a fugitive search as they have exhausted all the leads they currently have.
Chacon confirmed during the briefing that Broderick was a former Travis County Sheriff's Office deputy. Chacon said they will remain on the scene for "several hours" and there were 75 FBI agents on the scene as of the briefing.
APD @Chief_Chacon provides updated media briefing in relation to Great Hills Trail incident. - PIO8 https://t.co/47siNWhARI
— Austin Police Department (@Austin_Police) April 18, 2021
Police believe the victims, who have been identified as two Hispanic women and one Black man, knew their assailant. Chacon said a child was involved but is now safely in police custody. Broderick was described as 5 foot, 7 inches with a medium build and was last seen wearing a gray hoodie, sunglasses and a baseball cap.
"We're very sorry that obviously that this has happened and we continue to try and locate this individual, we are transitioning from a search in this area to a fugitive search and those efforts will continue until this person is located," Chacon said. "I don't want anyone to think that we're packing up and going home. We're going to continue to look for this individual because he continues to pose a threat to this community."
At a 2:30 p.m. press briefing, Chacon said APD responded to a "shoot, stab, hot shot" call on Great Hills Trail and Rain Creek Parkway at 11:46 a.m. to find the three victims with gunshot wounds. APD was joined by the Austin Fire Department. ATCEMS, the local chapter of the FBI, the U.S. Marshals, Department of Public Safety, and the Round Rock Police Department for support.
Though Austin Travis-County EMS originally reported it as an active shooter situation, police now believe the incident was an isolated domestic event.
"This is still an ongoing and active investigation and we do not have this individual in custody yet," Chacon said during the first press briefing. "We would ask if you have your neighbors, phone numbers, call or text them check on them and make sure that they're okay. We are concerned that he might possibly take a hostage and be himself sheltered somewhere waiting for us to leave."
At this time the Great Hills Trail scene is still active. We are still asking residents to shelter in place and report suspicious activity. While a suspect is still at large it appears this is a domestic situation that is isolated and there is no risk to the general public. -PIO8
— Austin Police Department (@Austin_Police) April 18, 2021
Three helicopters and SWAT teams were sent to the area, as well as 18 ATCEMS response assets. According to Austin Police, the incident occurred at an apartment complex near Great Hills Trail and Rain Creek Parkway.
#texasshooting #masshooting Arboretum shooting Austin. pic.twitter.com/SkIsgDoYHt
— Jamie Hammonds (@jamie_hammonds5) April 18, 2021
APD announced at 1:02 p.m. that Loop 360 will be shut down in both directions from Spicewood Springs to 183 due to the incident. The roads will remain closed until law enforcement is able to wrap up the crime scene and units demobilize.
TRAFFIC UPDATE: Loop 360 will be shut down in both directions from Spicewoods Springs to 183 due to ongoing incident. - PIO8
— Austin Police Department (@Austin_Police) April 18, 2021
This is a developing story.
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Formula 1 is returning to Florida for the first time since 1959, announcing that the brand-new Miami Grand Prix will join the calendar in 2022 and Austin will no longer be the only F1 race in the U.S.
Held at the Hard Rock Stadium complex in Miami Gardens, this will be the first race in the Sunshine State in 62 years. With a new track setup, F1 will loop the stadium, home of the NFL's Miami Dolphins.
Excited for @F1 @f1miami @HardRockStadium - a Global Entertainment Destination. This event will bring opportunities for so many and will be world-class. Thank you to @gregmaffei #chasecarey #stefanodomenicali @MayorRHarris @Ogilbert @CommishDiaz @MayorDaniella pic.twitter.com/n6dDDD1cPX
— Tom Garfinkel (@TomGarfinkel) April 18, 2021
The new 3.36 mile circuit has 19 corners, three straights and potential for three DRS zones, with expected top speeds of 198 mph.
Now with two races in the U.S., F1 President Stefano Domenicali said they will avoid having back-to-back events by keeping the Miami Grand Prix separate from the U.S. Grand Prix, which is held at Austin's Circuit of the Americas.
The date of the race has yet to be confirmed, though Domenicali said he expects the first race in a 10-year deal to take place in the second quarter of 2022. Austin's race will take place on Oct. 24 this year.
"The USA is a key growth market for us, and we are greatly encouraged by our growing reach in the U.S. which will be further supported by this exciting second race," Domenicali said.
Miami will mark the 11th race location in the U.S. since the Championship began in 1950: Circuit of The Americas in Austin; Dallas, Texas; Indianapolis, Indiana; Sebring, Florida; Riverside, California; Watkins Glen, New York; Long Beach, California; Las Vegas, Nevada; Detroit, Michigan and Phoenix, Arizona. COTA was first opened in 2012.
Domenicali said F1 will be working with the FIA and the Hard Rock Stadium to leave a lasting impact on the community: discounted tickets for residents, a program to support local businesses and a STEM education program through F1 in schools.
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