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REUTERS/Alyssa PointerFeb 1 (Reuters) - As soon as next week, the Memphis City Council will consider a raft of reforms aimed at curtailing police violence after the brutal beating of Tyre Nichols by five officers following a traffic stop. But after Nichols' beating and subsequent death made Memphis the latest emblem of police brutality against Black Americans, city leaders are facing more pressure than ever to shore up police accountability and hiring standards. "We cannot allow this moment to pass us by when activism coupled with concern from the community is at its peak," Memphis City Councilman J.B. Smiley Jr. said. Memphis activist LJ Abraham said she hopes Nichols’ case will persuade the council to take demands for bolder reforms more seriously. In recent years, city leaders have sought to boost the department's officer ranks, which dwindled as violent crime spiked.

☆ Washington D.C.'s free bus bill becomes law as zero-fare transit systems take off
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A bus is seen in Washington, DC, on December 12, 2022. - The Washington government voted to institute free bus rides for all starting in the summer of 2023. Washington, D.C., has enacted a zero-fare bus bill into law, according to the D.C. Council. Kansas City, Missouri, previously the largest city with such a law, made its own transit system zero-fare in 2019, though that city doesn't have a train system. The council officially announced the mayor's decision on Monday.

☆ Demonstrations, calls for police reforms flood Memphis
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( Deon J. Hampton | Deon J. Hampton Is A National Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

MEMPHIS, Tennessee — Hundreds of peaceful demonstrators, fueled by newly released body camera footage showing the brutal beating of Tyre Nichols by police officers, demanded justice, accountability and police reform Saturday afternoon. “We’re used to having issues with police in this city.”Body camera footage of Nichols being savagely beaten by Memphis officers on Jan. 7 was released Friday night, igniting protests across the U.S. For Memphis demonstrator Joshua Lewis, 18, he said he wasn’t surprised by the actions of the officers who were caught on camera beating Nichols. “It angered me to see the video of Tyre but this is normal (in Memphis) and I feel that it’s time for a change. “The corruption of the Memphis police and the death of Tyre Nichols, we’re just tired altogether.

☆ With tiny EV, City Transformer takes aim at Europe's urban markets
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( Nick Carey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] An urban electric vehicle with range of 180 kilometres designed by Israeli startup City Transformer, is shown in this undated photo provided by City Transformer and obtained by Reuters on January 27, 2023. The additional funds the startup is raising should help speed up series production, Formoza added. The EV can fit two people sitting in tandem, or could be used for last-mile delivery or other businesses, the company said. The CT-2 will cost 16,000 euros ($17,400) before taxes and Formoza said major carmakers have created space for startups like City Transformer by shifting away from smaller cars. City Transformer is lobbying the EU for subsidies for smaller EVs like the CT-2 that are currently available for larger models, Formoza added.

an officer is heard screaming while pulling Nichols out of his car. Officers are seen pinning Nichols to the ground on his side while grabbing his arms and giving him contradictory orders. "You guys are really doing a lot right now," Nichols is heard saying during the encounter. Police officers talk after the attack on Tyre Nichols during an arrest in Memphis, Tenn. on Jan. 7. One officer claims that during the initial traffic stop, he repeatedly tried to get Nichols to stop driving.

☆ Abandoned shopping carts cost taxpayers thousands of dollars
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Abandoned shopping carts are a scourge to neighborhoods, as wayward carts block intersections, sidewalks and bus stops. There is no national data on shopping cart losses, but US retailers lose an estimated tens of millions of dollars every year replacing lost and damaged carts, say shopping cart experts. They pay vendors to rescue stray carts and fork over fines to municipalities for violating laws on shopping carts. “It is the shopping cart.” Another New York Times article in 1957 called the trend “Cart-Napping.”There’s even a book, “The Stray Shopping Carts of Eastern North America: A Guide to Field Identification,” dedicated to the phenomenon and a system of identification for stray shopping carts, much like guides for bird-watching. Coin-lock shopping cart systems are popular in Europe, and Poulos said more US companies are requesting coin-lock systems in response to the costs of runaway shopping carts.

☆ Amazon's drone delivery unit hit with layoffs just as 10-year-old project finally launches
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Annie Palmer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

Two employees said Carbon, who replaced Prime Air co-founder Gur Kimchi, was hired to turn Prime Air into a real business with a sensible budget. Sources with knowledge of Prime Air said cuts in the drone delivery business were expected considering the division's many struggles. Monica Williams, a College Station resident, poses with a Prime Air drone at a community event in July. College Station residents also expressed concern about the prospect of drones harming the deer, foxes and birds that are native to the area. "As we continue to expand, we will update you when drone delivery is available for your household."

☆ A Second Colorado Library Closes After Meth Found in the Bathrooms
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Alyssa Lukpat | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Signs were placed on the doors of the Englewood Public Library to advise visitors that the library was closed due to meth contamination. A second Colorado library has been temporarily closed after methamphetamine was found inside, officials said. The city of Englewood reported that meth was discovered in the library bathrooms earlier this month. City officials said they proactively tested Englewood Public Library for the drug after Boulder’s main library closed last month because of meth contamination.

☆ As Cities Get Tough on Homelessness, Legal Battles Follow
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Laura Kusisto | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Cities across the U.S. have been introducing tougher measures to address the growing problem of homelessness, prompting a number of court challenges that could set guideposts on how far municipalities can go. Local governments have been experimenting with a range of homeless policies, such as involuntarily removing people from the streets when they appear to be mentally ill, confiscating belongings or evicting the homeless from public property. City officials say the measures are necessary to address situations that are threatening public safety and leaving homeless people themselves living in conditions that are unsafe and unsanitary.

☆ New York City Mayor Eric Adams travels to Texas border as he calls for migrant crisis aid: 'We are at our breaking point'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Rebecca Ungarino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

New York City Mayor Eric Adams called for federal and state aid to address the migrant crisis. And the people who live in the cities don't deserve this," Adams said on Sunday in El Paso, Texas, according to the Associated Press. About 40,000 migrants have traveled to New York City in search of shelter since last spring, according to the city. New York City has opened 74 emergency shelters and four humanitarian relief centers, according to Adams' office. In a Saturday tweet, Lander also criticized Adams' Texas trip, saying it did little to bring in the money that New York City needs to provide shelter and services.

☆ Premier League talking points
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Jan 15 (Reuters) - Talking points from the latest round of Premier League games:RAMSDALE PROVES HIS WORTH TO KEEP GUNNERS ON TRACKGoalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale has had his critics at Arsenal but the 24-year-old proved his worth in the league leaders' 2-0 victory at rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, making a string of fine saves to keep Spurs at bay. "We showed the other face when we had to dig in, we needed some big moments from Aaron," coach Mikel Arteta said. Manchester United's dramatic 2-1 comeback victory over rivals Manchester City on Saturday was not without its fair share of controversy. Rashford was deemed not to have interfered and the goal stood, before the in-form England forward went on to score the winner. "I understand he (Rashford) doesn't touch the ball but he's running for 30 metres until the last second.

☆ The zero-fare public transit movement is picking up momentum
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

In late 2019, Kansas City, Missouri, became the first major U.S. city to approve a fare-free public transit system. The public transit crisisKansas City's bus system, called RideKC. Alexandria and Richmond in Virginia have successfully integrated fare-free transit into their annual budgets. Source: Kansas City Area Transportation AuthorityIn Kansas City, zero-fare transit has become a hallmark of life. The zero-fare bus started in December 2019 as a pilot program.

"It’s a direct hit to the Mexican population of Boyle Heights and Lincoln Heights," Villalobos added. L.A. City Councilman Arthur Snyder during opening day ceremonies at Parque de Mexico in Los Angeles in 1978. A bust of Venustiano Carranza is among the missing sculptures at Parque de Mexico in Los Angeles. But only a few pieces remain today at the park, which is an extension of Lincoln Park in Lincoln Heights, one of the city's oldest neighborhoods and predominantly Latino. "Everyone goes and spends time ... at Lincoln Park, but Parque Mexico is kind of left alone especially as it’s gone into worse shape.

☆ Supreme Court allows New York gun law to remain in effect
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Lawrence Hurley | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Supporters of gun control and firearm safety measures hold a protest rally outside the US Supreme Court as the Court hears oral arguments in State Rifle and Pistol v. City of New York, NY, in Washington, DC, December 2, 2019. WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed a New York gun control law that was enacted in the wake of the high court's landmark ruling in June that dramatically expanded the right to bear arms outside the home to remain in effect while a legal challenge against it continues. The challenge was brought by Ivan Antonyuk and five other individuals who say they would like to carry firearms outside the home. Various gun owners have challenged provisions of the law, with three federal district courts ruling in favor of plaintiffs In each case, the New York-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals allowed the law to remain in place in full pending appeals.

☆ Worried about a gap in your resume? This small tweak could result in more job callbacks
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Jennifer Liu | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Worried about a career gap in your resume? Turns out, there's a pretty easy workaround that's been scientifically proven to lead to more job callbacks. Previous research has shown that hiring managers discriminate against candidates who have a break in their resume. Researchers were focused on seeing the impact for working mothers and tested resumes with no career break, resumes with an unexplained career break, and resumes with a break and brief explanation that they left the labor force to care for children. The new tenure format "draws attention to the applicants' job experience while also obfuscating employment gaps by omission."

☆ Bowling Green, Kentucky is the next big U.S. city
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Lauren Silva Laughlin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Biden solidified his push to reverse the tide of globalization in August 2022 with two major pieces of legislation. The CHIPS and Science Act provided $53 billion to bring semiconductor manufacturing and development to the United States. But Rust Belt states - once manufacturing powerhouses that slumped in the era of deindustrialization - also stand to win big. Hourly wages in the United States are 12 times higher than those in India, according to data from NationMaster. For the United States, though, Biden’s actions will be a boon to parts of the country left behind by the rapid economic growth of high-flier states on the coasts.

[1/5] A Texas National Guardsman watches as a group of migrants wades across the Rio Grande as U.S. border cities brace for an influx of asylum seekers when COVID-era Title 42 migration restrictions are set to end, in Eagle Pass, Texas, U.S. December 18, 2022. But because of an ongoing legal battle, it remains unclear whether Title 42 will end on Wednesday. For months, El Paso has been receiving large groups of asylum-seeking migrants, including many Nicaraguans who cannot be expelled to Mexico. On Saturday, the city's mayor declared a state of emergency to move migrants from city streets as temperatures have dropped below freezing. In El Paso, shelters have struggled to house incoming migrants, straining limited resources that are already accommodating the local homeless population.

☆ Dutch leader apologizes for Netherlands’ role in the slave trade, establishes fund to grapple with slavery's legacy
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte apologized Monday on behalf of his government for the Netherlands’ role in slavery and the slave trade, in a speech welcomed by activists as historic but lacking in concrete plans for repair and reparations. Ahead of the speech, Waldo Koendjbiharie, a retiree who was born in Suriname but lived for years in the Netherlands, said an apology was not enough. And on how this history still plays a negative role in the lives of many today,” the government says. The Dutch first became involved in the trans-Atlantic slave trade in the late 1500s and became a major trader in the mid-1600s. Eventually, the Dutch West India Company became the largest trans-Atlantic slave trader, said Karwan Fatah-Black, an expert in Dutch colonial history and an assistant professor at Leiden University.

☆ The Year in Pictures 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( The New York Times | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +57 min

Every year, starting in early fall, photo editors at The New York Times begin sifting through the year’s work in an effort to pick out the most startling, most moving, most memorable pictures. But 2022 undoubtedly belongs to the war in Ukraine, a conflict now settling into a worryingly predictable rhythm. Erin Schaff/The New York Times “When you’re standing on the ground, you can’t visualize the scope of the destruction. Jim Huylebroek for The New York Times Kyiv, Ukraine, Feb. 25. We see the same images over and over, and it’s really hard to make anything different.” Kyiv, Ukraine, Feb 26.

☆ Roughly 1 in 3 workers is worried about a layoff—here's where anxiety is highest
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Jennifer Liu | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Layoffs are getting loud, and workers are stressing out. Roughly 1 in 3 U.S. workers, 31%, say they're concerned their company is planning budget cuts or layoffs, according to a recent LinkedIn Workforce Confidence survey, which includes data from 21,000-plus professionals from September to December. Other lines of work, like business admin, policing, social work and accounting, are also necessary to keep daily life running. Anders notes that these workers can be considered society's problem solvers: "Think of them as a recession's essential workers." As workers lose confidence in their job security, we could see fewer people quitting in droves each month, economists say.

☆ Family-owned business making six figures just for putting up Christmas trees on Park Avenue has a 26-year-old owner calling the shots
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

City-Scape Landscaping has been beautifying Park Avenue since 1972, CNBC reports. One particularly lucrative part of City-Scape's partnership with Fund for Park Avenue is the Park Avenue Christmas tree project, which accounts for 10% of the company's $1 million annual sales at $100,000 per year, Sofield says. The annual Park Avenue tree lighting took place on Dec. 4, and drew a crowd of 4,000. A post shared by Fund For Park Avenue (@fundforparkavenue)Outside of the holiday season, Sofield and his crew maintain the Park Avenue Malls every Monday to match the climate. "It's people's front yard, front gardens along Park Avenue," Fund for Park Avenue president, Barbara McLaughlin told CNBC.

☆ For this company, decorating Park Avenue for Christmas is a family tradition
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( Molly Kaiser | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The business has maintained the avenue's grassy medians – known as the Park Avenue Malls – for 50 years. Christmas tress installed by City-Scape Landscaping on Park Avenue in New York. "I don't think Park Avenue would have quite the same glamour if the median walls weren't in place," said Vincent Sofield's son, Dylan. "It's people's front yard, front gardens along Park Avenue," said the group's president, Barbara McLaughlin. Christmas tress installed by City-Scape Landscaping on Park Avenue in New York.

☆ Migrant border crossings into Texas surge
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Anuja Jaiman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Migrants, among them Nicaraguans who were kidnapped by organized crime in the state of Durango and were released days later by the Mexican Army, queue near the border wall after crossing the Rio Bravo river to turn themselves in to U.S. Border Patrol...moreMigrants, among them Nicaraguans who were kidnapped by organized crime in the state of Durango and were released days later by the Mexican Army, queue near the border wall after crossing the Rio Bravo river to turn themselves in to U.S. Border Patrol agents to request asylum in the U.S. city of El Paso, Texas, as seen from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, December 12. REUTERS/Jose Luis GonzalezClose

☆ California reparations task force to talk eligibility
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

The first-in-the-nation task force previously voted to limit reparations to Black California residents whose ancestors were living in the United States in the 19th century. This week, the group will talk about whether there could be additional eligibility requirements and what time frame reparations could hinge on. Officials from Oakland, Sacramento, Los Angeles and other California cities will talk about local reparations efforts during a panel Wednesday. The coalition is focused on advocating for reparations for Black residents. California Secretary of State Shirley Weber, a former assemblywoman, authored the bill that created the state’s task force, and the group began its work last year.

The councilman has defied demands for his resignation and attended last week’s meeting, amid vociferous protests, “to get back to work,” he told CNN’s Kate Bolduan before the meeting. Calls for de León’s resignation have continued since October, when audio of a year-old conversation between de Léon and fellow council members was posted anonymously on Reddit and obtained by the Los Angeles Times. Much of the conversation focused on maps proposed by the city’s redistricting commission and the council members’ frustration with them, but it also featured racist remarks about a fellow council member’s Black son and about Oaxacans. “I shouldn’t have said what I said,” de León told CNN on Tuesday, clarifying his remarks comparing White colleague Mike Bonin’s Black child to a designer handbag. De León pointed to his body of work, including his work on environmental issues and advocacy on behalf of undocumented immigrants.

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