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☆ Tyre Nichols death: Memphis mayor and police chief requested DOJ's review of the police department
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Michelle Mark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Justice Department is reviewing the Memphis Police Department after Tyre Nichols' beating death. The review was requested by Memphis' mayor and police chief, the Justice Department said. The investigation was prompted by the death of Tyre Nichols, who was severely beaten by Memphis police officers. It will also review specialized street crime units like the SCORPION Unit, which the department deactivated after Nichols' death. The review was requested by Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland and Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn J. Davis, according to the DOJ.

☆ Memphis approves police reforms after beating death of Tyre Nichols
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Daniel Trotta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

March 7 (Reuters) - The Memphis City Council on Tuesday approved a series of police reforms in the wake of the death of Tyre Nichols following his beating by police during a Jan. 7 traffic stop, with more far-reaching measures under consideration. The death of Nichols, 29, an unarmed Black man, prompted outrage and calls for change. In the Nichols case, five officers, all Black, have been charged with second-degree murder. Some officers in the Nichols case drove unmarked cars and formed part of a special unit that has since been disbanded. A more far-reaching reform named the "Tyre Nichols Justice in Policing Ordinance" passed a first reading but needs to be heard by the council two more times to get approved.

☆ Memphis to release more video, audio in beating death of Tyre Nichols
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Brendan O'Brien | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

March 8 (Reuters) - Memphis was expected on Wednesday to release more than 20 hours of additional video and audio footage related to the killing of Tyre Nichols, an unarmed Black man who was beaten by police officers during a traffic stop in January. The city will also release records regarding the completed administrative investigations into the killing of the 29-year-old, she said. Nichols' death led the city council to approve a series of police reforms on Tuesday, including the creation of an annual review of training techniques. One video showed officers dragging Nichols from the driver's seat of his car before he runs away. Three members of Memphis Fire Department were also fired and one was suspended, Sink said on Tuesday.

☆ Tennessee lawmaker apologizes after proposing 'hanging by a tree' as a form of execution
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Tennessee lawmakers discussed a bill that would allow inmates to be executed by firing squad. During the meeting, Rep. Paul Sherrell suggested lynching as another possible execution method. "I was just wondering, could I put an amendment on that that would include hanging by a tree, also," Sherrell asked, according to Nashville Tennessean. A independent report published late last year found failures in how the state's death row prisoners were executed by lethal injection. Several of the state's representatives said this week that they believed firing squad would be the most humane way to be executed.

☆ Exposure to videos of police brutality can be harmful to Black people's mental health: 8 tips for taking care of yourself
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Renée Onque | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

It's become pretty common to see and share videos that depict physical harm being done to Black and brown people — the most recent example being the murder of Tyre Nichols. Footage of the shocking incident was released online, broadcast on live television and circulated widely on social media sites like Twitter and Facebook. Whether you choose to watch such videos, or just come across them on your feed, repeated exposure to these acts of violence can be detrimental to your mental health. And it can be especially harmful for Black people who might identify with the victims, says Charryse Johnson, a licensed clinical mental health counselor. That trauma can increase the chances of Black Americans experiencing anxiety, depression, chronic stress and even insomnia.

☆ Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas talks President Biden, infrastructure funding, and governing without gridlock at the local level: 'We've got to get stuff done'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas strives for collaboration as he works on tough policy issues. And he looks at Kansas City — whose Chiefs won Super Bowl LVII earlier this month — as an example of resiliency. What have been some of the most tangible and immediate benefits of the law for Kansas City? Mayor Lucas speaks during the Kansas City Chiefs' victory celebration in Kansas City, Missouri, on February 15, 2023. In Kansas City, we've said: "How do we keep talking to people even if everybody's mad at each other in the room?"

☆ Formula One rewrites the rule on shortened races
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Alan Baldwin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Formula One has rewritten a rule to ensure reduced points are given for shortened races after Red Bull's Max Verstappen clinched his second title in confusing circumstances last October. A statement of key decisions -- to be rubber-stamped by the FIA's World Motor Sport Council -- included a change of wording "to ensure that shorter races have reduced points even if they don’t finish with a suspended race." It turned out to be full points, enough for Verstappen to clinch the title with four races to spare. The FIA explained at the time that the reduced points rule only applied to grands prix that were suspended and could not be resumed. The meeting was chaired by Formula One Chief Executive Stefano Domenicali and FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis.

Police officers involved in the deaths have become an intense focus of investigation, protest, and media coverage. Despite being at the heart of some of the most defining incidents in modern policing, most of the officers involved continue to live their lives under the radar. Insider's review of 72 cops involved in two dozen of the most notorious police killings of the past 30 years shows the many different paths officers have taken. There's no nationwide view into what happens to officers involved in egregious incidents of violence. In rare cases, cops involved in these killings have tried to publicly rehabilitate their image rather than seek out anonymity.

☆ Former Memphis Police Officers Plead Not Guilty in Death of Tyre Nichols
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Joseph Pisani | Jennifer Calfas | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Five former Memphis, Tenn., police officers pleaded not guilty in the death of Tyre Nichols , a 29-year-old Black man who died last month after being kicked and punched by police during a traffic stop. Tadarrius Bean , Demetrius Haley , Justin Smith , Desmond Mills Jr . and Emmitt Martin III were arrested and charged with second-degree murder last month for Mr. Nichols’s death.

☆ Five former Memphis officers plead not guilty in beating death of Tyre Nichols
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Maria Alejandra Cardona | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

MEMPHIS, Tenn., Feb 17 (Reuters) - Five former Memphis police officers on Friday pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and other charges stemming from last month's beating of Tyre Nichols, a Black man whose death three days later stirred outrage and fresh calls for reform. Police video captured images of the officers beating and kicking Nichols, hitting him with a baton, spraying him with pepper spray and firing a stun gun at him on Jan. 7 following a traffic stop. [1/3] Five former Memphis police officers who have been charged in the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols appear during an arraignment hearing at Shelby County courthouse in Memphis, Tennessee, U.S., February 17, 2023. Two Shelby County sheriff's deputies who responded to the scene were suspended five days without pay. Officers on the video said Nichols had swerved through traffic dangerously, and one said Nichols attempted to grab his gun during the scrum.

☆ Attorney Ben Crump denies rumors that Tyre Nichols' beating was fueled by an officer's personal grudge against him
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Haven Orecchio-Egresitz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Attorney Ben Crump denies rumors that the beating of Tyre Nichols was fueled by an officer's grudge. Rumors on social media about pre-existing animosity between the men have harmed Nichols' family, he said. After the arraignment, Crump, who is representing Nichols' family, told reporters that the rumor is "bogus." He said they had nothing to do with the "rumors that are out there in the social media world." "The family is dealing with enough, outside of these rumors," Crump added while speaking from the steps of the city's Criminal Justice Complex.

☆ Two sheriff's deputies suspended for role in Tyre Nichols incident
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Daniel Trotta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 15 (Reuters) - The Shelby County sheriff on Wednesday suspended two deputies without pay for five days for unspecified conduct after they appeared at the scene where Memphis city police severely beat Tyre Nichols, a Black man who died three days later. Memphis lies within Shelby County, Tennessee, and while city police usually have jurisdiction within city limits, county sheriff's deputies may also respond. Among those responding to the scene were Shelby County sheriff's deputies Jeremy Watkins and Johntavious Bowers, the sheriff's department said in the statement. Reuters could not determine if the deputies were represented by lawyers who could make a statement in their defense. The Shelby County Deputy Sheriffs Association, the deputies' union, could not be reached for comment.

☆ In EU car data tussle, insurers and others brace for delays, disappointment
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Nick Carey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Companies in Europe and beyond are vying for control of the crown jewels of the connected car era, namely car manufacturers' data covering everything from driving habits, to fuel consumption and tyre wear which can be used to target cash-generating services. Although the EU is currently haggling over the Data Act, a draft law governing the use of consumer and corporate data, insurers and others are pushing for auto sector-specific regulation. A proposal is expected soon after the European Commission launched a consultation last year. Ten industry groups also wrote to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in January urging an end to "repeated delays". A spokesperson for the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) said the Data Act would guarantee fair access to car data, so "additional legislation on access to in-vehicle data is unlikely to achieve more".

☆ The white officer fired for his role in Tyre Nichols' arrest was once praised for his ability to 'extinguish a volatile situation'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Haven Orecchio-Egresitz | Narimes Parakul | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Tyre Nichols died three days after being pulled over and beaten by Memphis police officers. Preston Hemphill was the sixth officer fired over his role in Nichols' arrest. Hemphill, who joined the Memphis Police Department in March 2018, was fired on February 3 for his role at the scene of Tyre Nichols' beating. "As per departmental regulations Officer Hemphill activated his bodycam," Gerald said. Hemphill was the sixth and only white officer to be fired by the city of Memphis over the SCORPION unit's beating of Tyre Nichols.

☆ Memphis officers charged in Nichols death face review of older cases
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Brendan O'Brien | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"This involves any criminal case that [the officers] were involved in. It is any case where there were criminal charges that were brought by the DA anytime since they became officers." The beating occurred despite the use-of-force policies that Memphis and other U.S. cities pledged to strengthen after the 2020 death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. The five officers were members of SCORPION, a now-disbanded specialized police unit that was formed in October 2021 to concentrate on crime hot spots. Several of the officers who have been fired had received written reprimands or short suspensions for violating department policies, according to their personnel files.

☆ As Mahomes, Hurts make Super Bowl history, a question lingers: What took so long?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Amy Tennery | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Asked by a reporter this week what took so long, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was blunt: "There are probably a variety of reasons - probably none of them good." "The reality is, there's such great talent at that position, Black and white," Goodell said at his annual state-of-the-league media briefing. He told the New York Times that year that Black quarterbacks had not "been given the opportunity and the patience" their white counterparts had. "I never felt it was thing where people said it was harder to win with Black quarterbacks, it was more about durability. 'A PROUD MOMENT'At Super Bowl 57, Hurts will be only the eighth Black quarterback to start the title game.

☆ Memphis police officers who beat Tyre Nichols attacked Black veteran 3 days earlier, lawsuit alleges
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Haven Orecchio-Egresitz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A Memphis man alleges in a federal lawsuit that the cops who beat Tyre Nichols attacked him, too. Three days before Nichols' beating, he was also beaten by the SCORPION unit officers, the suit says. "Unknown to Mr. Harris at the time – the black masked assailants were members of the Scorpion Unit." "Mr. Harris had great difficulty walking because his left leg was gashed from the assault," the suit alleges. "But for witnesses coming outside to observe after hearing Mr. Harris' loud screams, Mr. Harris would likely have suffered the same fate as Mr.

☆ New Memphis Lawsuit Alleges Police Brutality by Officers Charged in Death of Tyre Nichols
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Mariah Timms | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Monterrious Harris has sued the city of Memphis, alleging police brutality in an incident that he says occurred just days before Tyre Nichols’s death. A Memphis resident filed a federal civil-rights lawsuit Tuesday alleging he was unjustly beaten by a group of police officers that included those charged with killing Tyre Nichols . The alleged excessive force happened three days before Mr. Nichols’s fatal encounter with police. The suit seeks $5 million in compensatory damages.

☆ In the audience at the State of the Union
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Jeremy Schultz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Rodney Wells and RowVaughn Wells, the stepfather and mother of Tyre Nichols, a Black motorist who died after being beaten by Memphis police following a traffic stop, talk with Bono, the lead singer of U2, as they arrive to take their seats in the...moreRodney Wells and RowVaughn Wells, the stepfather and mother of Tyre Nichols, a Black motorist who died after being beaten by Memphis police following a traffic stop, talk with Bono, the lead singer of U2, as they arrive to take their seats in the first lady's box. REUTERS/Leah MillisClose

☆ Biden's State of the Union 2023: Key quotes of the night
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] U.S. President Joe Biden delivers his State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., February 7, 2023. Amid the economic upheaval of the past four decades, too many people have been left behind or treated like they’re invisible." Fighting for the sake of fighting, power for the sake of power, conflict for the sake of conflict, gets us nowhere." And to my Republican friends who voted against it but still ask to fund projects in their districts, don’t worry. Ambassador, America is united in our support for your country.

"To my Republican friends, if we could work together in the last Congress, there is no reason we can’t work together in this new Congress," Biden, a Democrat, will say, according to excerpts of the speech released by the White House before the speech scheduled for 9 p.m. One test of that challenge will be the White House push to raise the $31.4 trillion debt ceiling, which must be lifted in the coming months to avoid a default. The White House has said Biden will not negotiate over that necessity; Republicans want spending cuts in exchange for their support. He said he urged Biden not to use the phrase "extreme MAGA Republicans" in his speech, a reference to Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan. Some House Republican lawmakers have questioned Biden's victory in the 2020 presidential race against Trump, vowing to investigate his Cabinet and family.

Biden will deliver his second State of the Union address at about 9 p.m. (0200 GMT Wednesday). It will be broadcast live on major U.S. broadcast television networks and online by the White House and the House of Representatives. The speech could deliver Biden his largest television audience of the year. The White House has also invited Brandon Tsay, who disarmed a gunman responsible for a mass shooting in Monterey Park, California. Republicans have picked Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who served as White House press secretary under Donald Trump, to deliver their response.

☆ A Memphis police officer took and shared photo of bloodied Tyre Nichols immediately following beating, state oversight report claims
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | Haven Orecchio-Egresitz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A Memphis police officer reportedly took and shared photos of Tyre Nichols following his beating. Five officers have been charged in Nichols' death. On the evening of January 7, Memphis police officers stopped Nichols on suspicion of "reckless driving," though police officials have since said they haven't found evidence that Nichols was driving erratically. A second confrontation occurred after Nichols got up and ran away as an officer tried to Tase him. Body-camera footage showed several officers beating Nichols while he was on the ground.

☆ All 5 officers charged in Tyre Nichols' death removed or failed to activate their body-worn cameras. They were caught by a 'sky cop' camera installed to monitor crime hotspots.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | Haven Orecchio-Egresitz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

All 5 officers charged in Tyre Nichols' death failed to capture the entire incident on body cameras. Three of the five removed their cameras during the still-active scene, according to new police docs. Following Nichols' death, the police department released portions of responding officers' body-worn camera footage, as well as CCTV video of the encounter. But investigators said Martin failed to activate his body-worn camera during the first confrontation with Nichols. Both Haley and Smith also failed to capture the encounter with Nichols in its entirety, according to police records.

☆ Demetrius Haley didn't tell Tyre Nichols why he'd been pulled over. The Memphis cop was talking on the phone during the stop, documents show.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Haven Orecchio-Egresitz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Former Memphis officer Demetrius Haley never told Tyre Nichols why he was pulled over. Department records say Haley approached Nichols while talking on the phone in a black hoodie. He yelled profanities, despite no evidence that Nichols ever swore at or threatened officers. "You never told the driver the purpose of the vehicle stop or that he was under arrest." A day after Nichols' beating, the department released a statement describing a "confrontation" with an alleged reckless driver, later identified as Tyre Nichols.

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