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“The Scorpion unit was involved,” Shelby County, Tennessee, District Attorney Steve Mulroy said Thursday at a news conference where he announced murder charges against five officers. Davis has called “heinous, reckless and inhumane,” has increased scrutiny of the city’s reliance on specialized units to suppress violent crime. This week, Davis announced a review of all of the police department’s specialized units, including Scorpion, in response to Nichols’ death. Memphis’ Scorpion unit was created in October 2021 under the police department’s Organized Crime Unit. Mayor Jim Strickland promoted the new Scorpion unit as part of the solution in his January 2022 State of the City speech.

☆ Black rappers call out double standard of using hip-hop lyrics as evidence in rapper Young Thug’s criminal trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Safia Samee Ali | Safia Samee Ali Is A Reporter For Nbc News Digital | Based In Chicago. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +11 min

Authorities had no physical evidence or weapon that linked Phipps to the shooting, and the then 22-year-old had no criminal record. Through her research Kubrin has found bias against rap music and artists, she said, adding that much of that bias is racialized. That means using lyrics from rap music, a historically Black genre, can infect jurors with anti-Black racism regardless of whether the defendant himself is Black, she said. Defending the practiceFulton County prosecutor Fani Willis, whose office is trying the case against Young Thug and other YSL members, has defended using music lyrics in trials. Gavin Newsom signed the Decriminalizing Artistic Expression Act, which made it the first state to restrict the use of rap lyrics as evidence in state court.

☆ Traumatic shock: A surviving roommate of the Idaho slain students said she saw killer, according to affidavit
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Safia Samee Ali | Safia Samee Ali Is A Reporter For Nbc News Digital | Based In Chicago. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

in an affidavit, encountered the suspect as he fled the house in Moscow, Idaho. According to the affidavit, Mortensen “described the figure as 5’10” or taller, male, not very muscular, but athletically built with bushy eyebrows. as she stood in a ‘frozen shock phase.’ The male walked towards the back sliding glass door. What was described as “frozen shock phase” could fall under a number of acute trauma responses, such as dissociation and tonic immobility, which are commonly elicited in stressful scenarios, experts said Friday. There’s different things that could be operating with her frozen state, and I think all of them would be reasonable.”

Broken pipes left thousands of residents of Jackson, Mississippi, without running water Monday after a winter storm as the city struggled to return pressure to its frail water system. “There’s no water pressure for most residents in Jackson, again,” state Rep. Ronnie Crudup said Monday. He said he’s one of the only people he knows in his neighborhood with some running water, but it’s just a small amount and not drinkable under the city’s boil water notice. In early 2021, extremely low temperatures left residents without running water after pipes froze. This year, the city lost running water amid problems at the city’s main water treatment facility, the O.B.

☆ Kentucky revokes license and orders children removed from foster care facility where 7-year-old boy died
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Safia Samee Ali | Safia Samee Ali Is A Reporter For Nbc News Digital | Based In Chicago. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

An NBC News investigation into the facility that revealed allegations of wrongdoing at that site and its sister campus several years before Ja’Ceon died. "We have also worked cooperatively with all investigations, including those by local law enforcement.”The monthslong investigation by the Cabinet’s Office of Inspector General and Department for Community Based Services cited several “failures” at the Brooklawn facility. The state, which stopped placing children in foster care at Brooklawn following Ja’Ceon’s death, directed Uspiritus to safely transition any children who remain at Brooklawn to alternate placements within 15 days. “This outcome is necessary, but nothing we do will bring back Ja’Ceon Terry.”Kentucky mother Autumn Janeway wrote accusations against the foster care facility on the back window of her car. Michael Swensen for NBC NewsFriedlander's office is also investigating allegations by the mother of a developmentally delayed child that the child was choked, scratched and taunted at the Brooklawn facility.

Pharmacists and parents across the country are contending with empty shelves as they search for children’s pain relief medications amid the ongoing spread of RSV, flu and Covid. CVS and Walgreens each announced on Monday that they are limiting the number of children's pain relief medications customers can buy: CVS to two, and Walgreens to six. Courtesy Chantel JablonskiCaswell said shortages of children’s Tylenol and ibuprofen and their generic versions started a month or two ago. Johnson & Johnson Motrin brand children's pain relievers at a Stop & Shop store in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., on Jan. 23, 2022. Khan said “this is probably the worst” shortage of children’s medicine he’s seen, surpassing even peak Covid.

Attorney General Merrick Garland issued new guidance on Friday essentially eliminating the disparity in federal sentencing for the distribution of crack cocaine versus powder cocaine, a policy that has long punished crack offenders, and people of color, more severely. Offenses involving 500 grams of powder cocaine carried the same 5-year mandatory minimum prison time as offenses involving 28 grams of crack cocaine, according to a report by the Congressional Research Service, a nonpartisan public policy research institute. Crack cocaine became prevalent in the 1980s, sparking a nationwide “war on drugs” and leading to the passage of two federal sentencing laws concerning crack cocaine in 1986 and 1988 that created the discrepancies, according to The Sentencing Project, which advocated for overhauling the sentencing guidelines. The road to sentencing reform for crack offenders was partly put into motion in 2018 with the First Step Act, which, in part, shortened mandatory federal prison sentences, including for those in prison for pre-2010 crack cocaine offenses. The new guidance was applauded by several groups, including the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, which called it "a big win and a historic step in the right direction toward eliminating the unjust disparity between crack and powder cocaine sentencing."

Moore County Sheriff Ronnie Fields has said a motive for the attack — which initially plunged 45,000 people into darkness — is still undetermined as local authorities and the FBI investigate. A cryptic post“The power is out in Moore County and I know why,” Emily Rainey wrote on her Facebook page less than an hour after the electricity failed. Taylor Shook / USA Today NetworkClymer saw Rainey’s posts and began speaking with other people in Moore County, she said. Kevin Dietzel, executive director of Sunrise Theater, said the venue was also targeted on social media and with phone calls. After that, she made the decision to cancel the rest of the show to “ensure everyone’s safety” during the outage.

The move was criticized by some mental health professionals who said the city should focus on long-term solutions and avoid treating people who refuse. New York Civil Liberties Union Executive Director Donna Lieberman also condemned the plan. New York City continues to contend with crime on public transit. Instead, he said, the city needs sustained engagement, housing, health care support and financial assistance for those in need. “In an ideal situation, you want mental health crisis teams to be the front line.

“I needed help and when you take a parent like me that is desperate to get their child help, we put trust into places like Brooklawn,” Janeway said. Shortly after Anthony entered Brooklawn, Janeway said he was being antagonized by staff, which she heard multiple times on the phone. According to the suit, Anthony told her he had been “choked” during a phone call in October 2021 prompting Janeway to immediately drive down to the facility. It is unclear if the matter was reported to the state agency, which denied a public records request. “I trusted a broken system that is supposed to help my son, not hurt my son, and it failed him,” she said.

The suspect in a mass shooting at a Walmart Supercenter in Chesapeake, Virginia, was a longtime employee described by a former co-worker as paranoid but not violent. In a statement Wednesday, Walmart identified the suspect as Andre Bing, an overnight team leader who had been with the company since 2010. Shaundrayia Reese, 27, said she worked at the Chesapeake Walmart from late 2014 to 2018, spending her four years working on the overnight stock team with Bing. Reese said after news of the shooting broke, she learned from other Walmart associates that Bing had made threats before. "This is a surprise to everyone who ever worked at Walmart or is currently at Walmart," she said.

☆ A boy was choked and verbally abused at the same Kentucky youth facility where a 7-year-old was killed, lawsuit says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Safia Samee Ali | Safia Samee Ali Is A Reporter For Nbc News Digital | Based In Chicago. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +9 min

The state did not answer questions about where the children who are no longer at the facility were sent. ‘Nonstop’ verbal abuseFor nine months, Janeway said, her son was verbally and emotionally abused and antagonized by staff, and at times she heard it over the phone, according to the lawsuit. That information is protected.” But she said the facility would let Janeway know when the process had been completed. “I trusted a broken system that is supposed to help my son, not hurt my son, and it failed him,” she said. Michael Swensen for NBC News"This lawsuit was filed on behalf of another child victim that was choked and abused at the Brooklawn facility," Paul Croley, a lawyer who filed the suit, said in a written statement.

The publisher of Vogue magazine has sued rappers Drake and 21 Savage for promoting their new album using a fake Vogue cover and the magazine’s name without authorization, according to a lawsuit filed on Monday. And none of it has been authorized by Condé Nast,” the publisher alleges in its lawsuit. “Vogue magazine and its Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour have had no involvement in Her Loss or its promotion, and have not endorsed it in any way.”A representative for Drake, whose real name is Aubrey Graham, declined comment. Their “deceptive campaign” has caused unmistakable confusion over the veracity of the magazine cover and “underscores the tremendous value that a cover feature in Vogue magazine carries,” the lawsuit stated. The distribution of a fake Vogue cover is among several spoofs the rappers rolled out in support of their album release.

☆ Kentucky children’s agency is taking ‘additional action’ against foster care facility where 7-year-old boy suffocated
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Safia Samee Ali | Safia Samee Ali Is A Reporter For Nbc News Digital | Based In Chicago. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

The Kentucky agency charged with overseeing state youth centers said it has taken new action against the nonprofit organization that operates a Louisville foster care facility where a 7-year-old boy suffocated to death in July. The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services took “additional action” against Uspiritus on Wednesday, Susan Dunlap, a spokesperson for the agency, said in a statement. The cabinet will not tolerate placing children anywhere where their safety and well-being are not prioritized,” Eric Friedlander, secretary of the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, said in a statement following the additional action. The facility said it “dismissed” the two employees who it says were involved immediately after the incident and the Kentucky Cabinet of Health and Family Services suspended new foster care placements at Brooklawn. The health and safety of the Brooklawn family is always our top priority,” Uspiritus, which also operates Brooklawn’s sister facility, Bellewood, said in a statement following the boy’s death.

The former Michigan police officer who fatally shot Patrick Lyoya during a traffic stop in Grand Rapids in April will stand trial for the killing, a judge ruled Monday. Judge Nicholas Ayoub said enough evidence was presented in a preliminary hearing to require a jury to decide whether Christopher Schurr was justified in shooting Lyoya. These are questions of fact that the jury must decide based on the totality of the circumstances as presented by the evidence at trial,” Ayoub said in court order. The officer ended up restraining Lyoya with his knee to his back and ultimately shot him as he was facedown on the ground. Patrick Lyoya, 26, was shot and killed on April 4, after what police said was a traffic stop.

Among the violations “confirmed” by state investigators from the Kentucky Cabinet were improper use of restraints and aggression by staff members. As of Oct. 20, 32 children who are in state custody remained in Brooklawn’s care, according to the facility. Police and state officials say they are still investigating Ja’Ceon’s death, and no charges have been filed. Brooklawn said the facility has implemented new safety measures and increased training for staffers who provide direct care to children. This type of incident should never be allowed to happen again.”Some child advocates say Ja’Ceon’s death should prompt systemic change.

“He may be forced to live a subsistence type of life,” said Richard Signorelli, a New York attorney and former federal prosecutor. Jones and his companies today are worth $135 million to $270 million, forensic economist Bernard Pettingill testified in August at another defamation trial for Jones in Texas. The amount eventually paid out by Jones may be less, according to Ryan O’Neill, a defamation lawyer and professor at Quinnipiac University School of Law. If it is found to be dischargeable, Jones would be required to make disclosures about his finances, Gessin said. “I don’t think he’s going to be able to escape this judgment,” he said.

The families claimed Jones profited off the lies while they were harassed and abused by those who believed him. This is the second trial related to his Sandy Hook conspiracy theories. In August, a Texas jury ordered Jones to pay nearly $50 million in damages to Scarlett Lewis and Neil Heslin, whose son Jesse was killed in the massacre. “Every single one of these families were drowning in grief, and Alex Jones put his foot right on top of them." A defiant Jones said he believed Sandy Hook was a hoax when he spread his lies.

Drug cartels are using brightly colored “rainbow fentanyl” pills to target children as young as middle schoolers, the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration warned Monday, signaling a new threat in the opioid crisis. “This is another tactic that they’re using to get more fentanyl to more people,” Milgram said. The DEA and other law enforcement agencies have seized fentanyl in the colorful presentation in 21 states, she said. In recent weeks, Milgram said, the agency has been called to middle schools to investigate fake pills that looked like medication but were actually fentanyl. The district is offering the lifesaving drug Narcan at all schools free to reverse the effects of fentanyl.

☆ In angry outburst, Infowars host Alex Jones says ‘he’s done being sorry’ during second defamation trial
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Safia Samee Ali | Safia Samee Ali Is A Reporter For Nbc News Digital | Based In Chicago. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

In an angry outburst, conspiracy theorist and Infowars host Alex Jones said “he’s done being sorry” as he took the stand Thursday during his second defamation trial for saying the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a hoax. A defiant Jones said he believed Sandy Hook was a hoax when he spread his lies. Twenty children and six educators were killed after a gunman entered Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown and opened fire on Dec. 14, 2012. Alex Jones defamation trials Alex Jones is facing a defamation trial in Connecticut after being found liable for spreading lies that the Sandy Hook school shooting was a hoax. This is the second such trial for Jones, who has already been ordered to pay at least $4.1 million to a Sandy Hook family.

☆ Alex Jones’ Connecticut trial is the latest, but not the last, of the legal fallout from his Sandy Hook hoax claims
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-15 | by ( Safia Samee Ali | Safia Samee Ali Is A Reporter For Nbc News Digital | Based In Chicago. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

Jones is currently on trial in Waterbury, Connecticut, about 20 miles from Newtown, where the shooting took place. After a civil trial related to damages last month, a Texas jury ordered Jones to pay nearly $50 million in damages to Lewis and Heslin. Under Texas law, punitive damages can be up to twice the amount of economic compensatory damages but limited to $750,000 per plaintiff. Midway through that trial, Jones also filed for bankruptcy on behalf of his company, Free Speech Systems. Prior to his Connecticut trial, Jones’ lawyer tried to transfer the case to a federal bankruptcy court, which the court denied, allowing it to proceed in state court.

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