News Articles

"Attorney General Merrick Garland on Tuesday was grilled by lawmakers on national security voting rights and the border during his first appearance on Capitol Hill since being sworn in as the nation's top law enforcement officer."

"A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers on Thursday started talks on a police reform bill the day after Democratic President Joe Biden urged senators and representatives to act before the May 25 anniversary of George Floyd's murder by a Minneapolis policeman."

"Lawmakers are unclear precisely what the intelligence community currently considers legal given the classified nature of the operations."

"On Sunday Rep. Justin Amash announced plans to introduce the Ending Qualified Immunity Act. Qualified immunity shields police officers from civil liability for violating a civilian's constitutional rights in most circumstances. Reforming it is an important step toward holding law enforcement accountable for abuse of power. But Congress must also act to address the less-well-known but equally pernicious rules governing municipal liability. It's time to hold local governments accountable for police violence."

"Amid a rash of violent incidents aimed at Asian Americans Rep. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) on Tuesday spoke about the racism and xenophobia his family has personally experienced and said he has never felt this level of fear before in his life."

"The barbed debate over racial justice is exploding this week on Capitol Hill, as Democrats in both chambers are charging ahead with a host of proposals to empower minorities amid the national clash over police bias, brutality and the future of law enforcement."

"Lawmakers and experts called for shifting public rhetoric surrounding Covid-19 and foreign policy and passing hate crime legislation to address discrimination and violence against Asian Americans in a House panel Thursday."

"Readers are moved by an Op-Ed piece he wrote days before his death urging people to 'tand up for what you truly believe.'''

"The House of Representatives on Tuesday voted to remove all Confederate statues from public display in the U.S. Capitol along with replacing the bust of former Chief Justice of the United States Roger Taney author of the 1857 Dred Scott decision that declared that people of African descent were not U.S. citizens."

"President Joe Biden and two of his top cabinet members on Wednesday promised U.S. economic and criminal justice reforms that would benefit Black communities at a conference organized by longtime activist Al Sharpton."

"On social media and in other communications they've been speaking out since the former president began calling covid-19 the China virus."

"Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez D-N.Y. took to the House floor Thursday morning to admonish the insults hurled at her by Rep. Ted Yoho R-Fla. earlier this week."

"The state Senate early Wednesday voted to approve a comprehensive police accountability bill that was drafted in the wake of protests spurred by the police killings of Black Americans including George Floyd in Minneapolis and Breonna Taylor in Louisville."

"The Crown Act a bill that makes hair-based discrimination illegal is now officially law in a dozen states. Nevada is reportedly the latest state to pass the bill. The legislation was fueled by the CROWN (Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair Day) Coalition."

"Louisville's city government has announced plans to review the handling by the mayor's administration of the fatal police shooting of Breonna Taylor. The Louisville Metro Council's government oversight committee which has subpoena powers announced its intentions Monday news outlets reported. The council's next meeting is scheduled for July 23."

"A Minneapolis commission decided Wednesday to take more time to review a City Council amendment to dismantle the Police Department in the wake of George Floyd's death ending the possibility of voters deciding the issue in November."

"City council voted to override Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan's recent veto of cuts to the police department's remaining 2020 budget by a 7-2 vote with the mayor issuing a statement after the fact indicating she might not adhere to all of the provisos laid out in the council's proposal."

"Illinois lawmakers on Wednesday used the final hours of the general assembly's lame duck session to pass a sweeping and controversial criminal justice reform bill that would eliminate cash bail make it easier to ban officers from working at police departments across the state and allow for anonymous complaints against cops."

"The Florida Senate gave final approval Thursday to law enforcement reform legislation born in the wake of George Floyd's death at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer nearly one year ago."

"Congress was at a standstill on police reform on Wednesday after Senate Democrats successfully blocked a Republican bill criticized as a toothless response to police brutality. The vote was 55-45 failing to reach the 60-vote threshold needed to advance. Two Democrats the Alabama senator Doug Jones and the West Virginia senator Joe Manchin along with Angus King of Maine an independent who caucuses with Democrats voted with Republicans to open the debate."

" grand jury in Texas on Tuesday cleared eight former officers of any criminal wrongdoing in the death of a 26-year-old Black man in custody."

"Colorado passed a sweeping police reform bill on Friday that among other reforms bans chokeholds and makes officers personally liable if they are found guilty of violating a person's civil rights. Colorado is one of the first states that will allow police officers to be financially liable for civil misconduct suits according to the state's ACLU. "

"Colorado's attorney general on Friday convened a grand jury probe into the death of Elijah McClain a young unarmed Black man placed in a chokehold and injected with the powerful sedative ketamine while under arrest."

"Recent reporting suggests that lawmakers across the country are ending a long-standing legal protection for police officers but that isn't quite true."

"After more than 120 years of flying over the state of Mississippi the Confederate battle flag is no longer a part of the state's official flag. On Tuesday Republican Gov. Tate Reeves signed into law a bill fast-tracked by the Mississippi Legislature over the weekend that calls for a new design. In a somber ceremony Reeves said he was signing the law to turn a page in Mississippi."

"A North Carolina city is using a restrictive ordinance to outlaw protest threatening to arrest anyone who even attempts to peacefully protest without a permit as part of an effort to protect a Confederate monument that sits outside its courthouse."

"A bill that would allow people to sue government officials including police if they violate their rights is going through some major changes. The bill better known as the 'Civil Rights Act' would get rid of qualified immunity and allow people to file their cases in state court instead of federal court."

"Four states have now passed legislation that would limit how teachers can discuss racism sexism and other controversial issues. It's Republican lawmakers latest effort to rein in the approach to subjects they claim are divisive and inappropriate."

"Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed two companion bills into law on Monday that will protect against discrimination for natural hair hairstyles or cultural or religious headdress in schools and workplaces."

"Arguing that a new law is intended to 'suppress the viewpoints of Black-led organizations and their allies' a coalition of groups Tuesday challenged the constitutionality of changes championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to crack down on violent protests."