Three ex-officers found guilty of witness tampering in fatal beating of Tyre Nichols
A federal jury convicted three former Memphis police officers in the 2023 beating death of Tyre Nichols Thursday, but they were acquitted of the most serious charges. The jury found Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith guilty of witness tampering for covering up the attack. Haley was also convicted of violating Nichols’ civil rights.
Nichols died three days after the officers brutally beat him following a traffic stop. The officers now face up to 20 years in prison for the witness tampering convictions while Haley’s civil rights violation conviction carries up to 10 years. Sentencing is pending with a hearing scheduled to determine whether they will remain in custody.
The case has triggered federal investigations into Memphis police practices, and Nichols’ family has filed a $550 million lawsuit against the city and its police department.
In a statement, the assistant U.S. attorney who oversees the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said, “Tyre Nichols should be alive today.”
The strike is over for now, as thousands of dockworkers return to their jobs after a tentative agreement to raise their pay. And why after more than three decades in prison , the Menendez brothers — infamous for killing their parents — might have their case reviewed and the factor it all hinges on. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Friday, Oct. 4, 2024.
Tens of thousands of U.S. dockworkers are getting back on the job after two days of a strike that clogged dozens of East and Gulf coast ports. The historic labor action, which threatened to drive inflation back up, is now on hold until at least January 15.
Thursday night, Oct. 3, members of the International Longshoremen’s Association struck a tentative deal with the U.S. Maritime Alliance over pay. The agreement will increase workers’ wages by 62% over the span of six years.
The agreement is an increase over the Maritime Alliance’s offer of 50% earlier this week, but a compromise for the ILA, which has called for a 77% increase in wages over the same time period.
The new deal would bring hourly pay for top dockworkers to $63 per hour by the end of the deal, compared to $39 an hour under the most recently expired contract.
Dockworkers had also been calling for a total ban on automation, but no deal was reached on that. Sources close to the matter have said that will be the main topic of negotiations between now and Jan. 15.
I applaud the International Longshoremen’s Association and the United States Maritime Alliance for coming together to reopen the East Coast and Gulf ports and ensure the availability of critical supplies for Hurricane Helene recovery and rebuilding.
More Israeli strikes on Hezbollah targets in Beirut
Powerful blasts rocked Beirut Thursday night into Friday morning, Oct. 4, as Israel unleashed some of its heaviest strikes on the Lebanese capital city yet. This comes as Iran’s foreign minister is in Beirut meeting with Lebanese officials over the expanding conflict between Israel and Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.
Thursday, Israel ordered more evacuations for villages in southern Lebanon, potentially signaling plans to broaden the ground invasion there. Meanwhile, Lebanon’s state-run news agency said an Israeli strike took out the main highway between Lebanon and Syria, which tens of thousands of people have used over the past two weeks to flee the escalating fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.
🔴Mohammad Rashid Sakafi, the Commander of Hezbollah’s Communications Unit, during a precise, intelligence-based strike in Beirut yesterday.
Sakafi was a senior Hezbollah terrorist, who was responsible for the communications unit since 2000. Sakafi invested significant efforts… pic.twitter.com/PH65nh5FLI
The Israeli military also said it killed another top Hezbollah militant, Mohammed Anisi, in a recent strike on Beirut. Hezbollah has not yet confirmed that claim.
Three ex-officers found guilty in Tyre Nichols beating death
A federal jury convicted three former Memphis police officers in the 2023 beating death of Tyre Nichols Thursday, but they were acquitted of the most serious charges. The jury found Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith guilty of witness tampering for covering up the attack. Haley was also convicted of violating Nichols’ civil rights.
Nichols died three days after the officers brutally beat him following a traffic stop. The officers now face up to 20 years in prison for the witness tampering convictions while Haley’s civil rights violation conviction carries up to 10 years. Sentencing is pending with a hearing scheduled to determine whether they will remain in custody.
The case has triggered federal investigations into Memphis police practices, and Nichols’ family has filed a $550 million lawsuit against the city and its police department.
In a statement, the assistant U.S. attorney who oversees the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said, “Tyre Nichols should be alive today.”
35 years later, Menendez brothers’ case under review following claims of parental abuse
Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón announced his office will review the convictions of Erik and Lyle Menendez, nearly 35 years after they were imprisoned for killing their parents in 1989. New evidence, including a letter from Erik Menendez alleging sexual abuse by their father, prompted the reexamination.
Gascón stressed that while the brothers’ guilt is not being contested, the new evidence and changing views on sexual abuse require a review. The attorney for the Menendez brothers argues they’ve been rehabilitated and is seeking a re-sentencing.
A hearing on Nov. 29 will determine the next steps, which could include a new trial or an adjusted sentence.
Country star Garth Brooks accused of rape
A former employee has come forward accusing country music superstar Garth Brooks of sexual assault and battery. In a the lawsuit, the woman said she worked as his hair and makeup artist.
The lawsuit alleges in 2019, Brooks raped the woman during a work trip in Los Angeles.
Before this lawsuit was made public, CNN reported an anonymous celebrity plaintiff — now identified as Brooks — had tried to block the woman from suing and denied the claims.
In a statement released to the media, Brooks said, “For the last two months, I have been hassled to no end with threats, lies, and tragic tales of what my future would be if I did not write a check for many millions of dollars.”
If there was ever a night that I really needed this, TONIGHT was that night! Thank you for my life!!!!! love, g pic.twitter.com/q6FFLrJO0a
He went on to say, “Hush money, no matter how much or how little, is still hush money. In my mind, that means I am admitting to behavior I am incapable of—ugly acts no human should ever do to another. We filed suit against this person nearly a month ago to speak out against extortion and defamation of character. We filed it anonymously for the sake of families on both sides.”
Category 4 Hurricane Kirk strengthens, expected to stay offshore
Hurricane Kirk, a powerful Category 4 storm, is churning in the Atlantic, with forecasters warning of dangerous swells that could impact the U.S. east coast, Bermuda, the Greater Antilles, and the Bahamas by this weekend. Though the hurricane is expected to remain far from land, its waves might cause life-threatening surf and rip currents.
NEW: #Kirk is now a major #hurricane with 125mph sustained winds and will strengthen to *near Category 5 strength* over the next couple of days. Certainly thankful it will remain out to sea and no threat to land! #HurricaneKirk#weatherpic.twitter.com/frSGbEgtFe
As Kirk strengthens, Tropical Storm Leslie has also formed in the Atlantic but poses no immediate threat to land.
Meanwhile, the southeast is still reeling from Hurricane Helene, which left more than 200 people dead and caused catastrophic damage. Rescue efforts continue as many residents remain without water, power and communication services.
President Joe Biden has visited the region to survey the devastation, pledging federal aid for debris removal and recovery efforts in Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas.
Jury deliberating in trial over beating of Tyre Nichols in Memphis by police
After months in a federal trial, a jury is now deliberating the fate of three former Memphis police officers. Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith were fired from the Memphis Police Department after Tyre Nichols was beaten on Jan. 7, 2023.
The 29-year-old died days later from head injuries, according to an autopsy and a report from CNN. All three former officers pleaded not guilty to charges of excessive force, failure to intervene and obstructing justice through witness tampering.
Two other officers involved, Emmitt Martin and Desmond Mills Jr., struck a deal with prosecutors and pled guilty to depriving Nichols of his civil rights. In exchange, they testified for the prosecution.
In the courtroom, prosecutors accused the three former officers of wanting to punish Nichols for running from a traffic stop. The defense argued that Nichols had ignored officers’ commands and that the three followed the department’s protocol.
Video played during the trial shows officers using pepper spray and a Taser on Nichols. It also shows them punching and kicking him as he called out for his mother. He was less than a block away from his home.
All five officers have also been charged in state court, though a trial date has not yet been set.
While some police departments have taken proactive steps to address community concerns regarding these specialized units, the DOJ is issuing guidance for specialized police units nationwide.
In a report set to be released on Wednesday, Jan. 10, officials are urging police departments to assess whether specialized units are needed to solve community issues and, if they are genuinely needed, ensure members have a clean history and there is proper oversight.
With names like SCORPION, wolfpack, COBRA, and strike forces, specialized police units have been routinely called into question whether they are community-oriented.
The new DOJ guidance said that the names alone can “emphasize and further separate the agency from the community and perpetuate the ‘us versus them’ mentality.”
While the guidance notes that specialized units have the potential to keep communities safe, police leaders and elected officials must ask the right questions when assessing community needs and making fact-based decisions. Like how long a unit will need to operate and set term limits.
Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta told NPR that the goal is to create guidance for management and accountability in local police departments.
“Our hope is that the guide is going to help law enforcement avoid the bad and sometimes very tragic outcomes we’ve seen from such units including what we saw happen a year ago,” Gupta said.
The guide is separate from an already ongoing DOJ Civil Rights Department investigation into the Memphis Police Department, which is looking into a possible pattern of excessive force.
As for the 5 Memphis police officers who were charged for the violent confrontation with Tyre Nichols, one has pleaded guilty in connection with the beating, while the four others pleaded not guilty to state and federal charges. Their trials are set for later this year.
Kim Jong Un meets with Vladimir Putin in Russia: The Morning Rundown, Sept. 13, 2023
The leaders of North Korea and Russia meet as the two U.S. adversaries look to strengthen their relationship. And Apple unveils big changes with its next generation of iPhones. These stories and more highlight the Morning Rundown for Sept. 13, 2023.
Kim Jong Un meets with Vladimir Putin in Russia
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un traveled to meet with Russian president Vladimir Putin in person on Wednesday, Sept. 13. Kim expressed “full and unconditional support” for Russia and encouraged Moscow to keep defending itself in what he called a “sacred fight” in Ukraine.
The two world leaders met for about four to five hours, according to local media reports. Video posted by Russian state media showed the two smiling and shaking hands.
Kim was given a tour of Russia’s launch pads and inspected a Russian spaceport before a one-on-one meeting behind closed doors. It’s that conversation that has sparked concerns from the U.S., with officials believing there is a high possibility the North will supply Russia with ammunition to use in Ukraine.
North Korea may have tens of millions of artillery shells and rockets that could give Russia’s army a significant advantage. The meeting came hours after South Korea reported North Korea fired two ballistic missiles toward its eastern seas.
House speaker Kevin McCarthy has moved to open a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden on Tuesday, Sept. 12. McCarthy said allegations that Biden, while vice president, profited off his son Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings are “serious” and “credible.” A White House spokesman called the move “extreme politics at its worst.”
Our Washington correspondent Ray Bogan was on Capitol Hill and interviewed several lawmakers to get their takes on the inquiry.
Meanwhile, a new Reuters poll published Tuesday shows President Biden’s approval rating is holding steady.
Biden’s approval rating edged up to 42% this month, the highest since March. This is largely a split opinion among parties: 80% of Democrats approve of Biden while 91% of Republicans disapprove.
While Biden’s approval rating remains high among his party, according to a recent Associated Press poll, more than two-thirds of Democrats believe the president – at the age of 80 – is too old to be their party’s choice for 2024.
Officers charged in Tyre Nichols’ death indicted by federal grand jury
Five former Memphis police officers charged in the death of 29-year-old Tyre Nichols in January have been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of civil rights violations.
U.S. Attorney Kevin Ritz announced the federal charges on Tuesday.
“The indictment alleges that the defendants unlawfully assaulted Mr. Nichols and failed to intervene in the unlawful assault. by doing so, they deprived Mr. Nichols of the right to be free from unreasonable force,” Ritz said.
The five former officers were all indicted on four counts including deprivation of rights through excessive force and failure to intervene. They all have previously pleaded not guilty to state felony charges of second-degree murder.
The defendants are expected to make their first court appearance in the coming days, Ritz said.
CDC recommends COVID boosters for everyone 6 months and up
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending everyone six months and older should receive the updated COVID-19 boosters from either Pfizer or Moderna. The CDC recommendation comes after the FDA approved the two updated vaccines for people 12 years and older — meant to target new variants currently circulating.
Shots for children six months through 11 years old are under emergency authorization.
“We have more tools than ever to prevent the worst outcomes from COVID-19. CDC is now recommending updated COVID-19 vaccination for everyone 6 months and older to better protect you and your loved ones,” CDC Director Mandy Cohen, M.D., M.P.H said.
There has been a slight uptick in hospitalizations in the U.S. for seven weeks straight. But cases remain significantly below previous surges and COVID-related deaths remain near an all-time low since the start of the pandemic.
For the first time in 11 years, iPhone users will no longer need Apple’s proprietary lightning port cables as the company is switching to the USB-C standard that is already being used by many electronics including Apple’s own Mac computers and iPads, as well as non-Apple products.
The switch is due to a mandate by the European Union that will require smartphones and other electronic devices to have the USB-C port by the end of 2024.
All four versions of the iPhone 15 will be available for pre-order this Friday and go on sale in stores next week with pricing remaining the same – except for a $100 increase for the top-of-the-line model. The iPhone 15 Pro Max will cost $1,200.
The announcement comes as Apple has reported a mild slump in iPhone sales. The company’s stock price has dipped by nearly 10% since mid-July, dropping its market value below the $3 trillion threshold it reached earlier this summer.
McDonald’s phasing out self-serve soda machines
McDonald’s is phasing out a signature feature in its restaurants – the self-serve soda machines. The fast-food chain says the stations will be eliminated at its U.S. locations by 2032.
The company says the move is to create a consistent experience for both employees and customers, whether consumers are ordering their food through delivery, drive-thru or in the restaurant. McDonald’s has not said how the machines’ removal would impact drink refills.
The switch comes as the company is seeing a change in consumer behavior. Digital sales – which include app, delivery and kiosk purchases – account for almost 40% of its systemwide sales for the second quarter of 2023.
Tyre Nichols death reveals Memphis Police hiring struggles
According to former Memphis Police recruiters who spoke with The Associated Press, the department has experienced significant hiring struggles in recent years. The struggles may have played a role in the death of Tyre Nichols last month. Nichols was beaten, kicked, pepper sprayed and tased while in police custody before dying in the hospital a few days later.
“They would allow just pretty much anybody to be a police officer because they just want these numbers,” said Alvin Davis, a former lieutenant in charge of recruiting before he retired last year out of frustration. “They’re not ready for it.”
According to the former recruiters, the Memphis Police hiring struggles forced the department to increase incentives and lower its standards. This includes:
Offering new recruits $15,000 signing bonuses and $10,000 relocation allowances
Phasing out requirements to have either college credits, military service or previous police work
Seeking state waivers to hire applicants with criminal records
Dropping timing requirements on physical fitness drills (including running entirely) because too many people were failing
“If you lower standards, you can predict that you’re going to have problems because we’re recruiting from the human race,” Ronal Serpas, the former head of the police in Nashville and New Orleans and the Washington State Patrol, told The AP. “There’s such a small number of people who want to do this and an infinitesimally smaller number of people we actually want doing this.”
Out of the five officers who have been charged with murder in Nichols’ death, two had a couple years of experience. None had more than six. Memphis police did not respond to requests for comment from the AP about their hiring standards.
“There were red flags,” another former recruiter who spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity to discuss personnel and hiring said. “But we’re so far down the pyramid nobody really hears the little person.”
Morning rundown: Severe winter storm continues; Tyre Nichols laid to rest
A winter storm continues to slam parts of the U.S., lawmakers say the COVID pandemic is “over,” and Tyre Nichols is being laid to rest. These stories and more highlight the daily morning rundown for Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023.
Winter storm continues to bring ice, rain
Winter storm Mara continues to bring freezing rain and sleet to the southern Plain states. Already this morning, more than 1,400 flights have been canceled and nearly 600 delayed. Just like Tuesday, the most impacted airports are DFW and Love Field in Dallas. Three people have died and at least 185,000 people are without electricity in Texas and Arkansas. Police in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and other states are urging people to stay off the roads. There have been hundreds of accidents. And in some cases, the National Guard has come out to assist stranded motorists.
Tyre Nichols funeral today in Memphis
Tyre Nichols’ funeral is happening Wednesday. The service will be held at the Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church in Memphis where 2,500 attendees are expected despite the winter storm making its way through the area. Vice President Kamala Harris will be there after accepting an invitation from Nichols mother and step-father. Attorney Ben Crump will make what’s being described as a call to action. The reverend Al Sharpton will deliver the eulogy.
Nichols was beaten, tased and pepper sprayed by police on Jan. 7. He died three days later. So far, five officers have been fired and charged with murder. Three first responders were fired and two other officers were suspended. The Memphis Police Department says more disciplinary action and criminal charges are possible.
House Republicans pass Pandemic Is Over Act
House Republicans passed the Pandemic Is Over Act. If it is signed into law, it would terminate the coronavirus public health emergency. Regardless of what happens with this bill, President Joe Biden informed Congress the emergency will end May 11. But the legislation sparked debate about what ending the health emergency means for Title 42, the pandemic era order that allows the U.S. to deport immigrants who crossed the border illegally on public health grounds.
“The Biden administration and the Biden administration alone controls Title 42. That statute was written in 1944 before the authority of the public health emergency even existed. If the Biden administration chooses to end Title 42 when the public health ends, without working with us to secure the border, that’s just another one of the failures to add to the list,” Rep. Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., said.
“If you truly believe the pandemic is over, then you can’t say that Title 42 is still needed at the border because of a healthcare crisis,” Rep. Lou Correa, D-Calif., countered.
The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments on a case regarding Title 42 on March 1. But the justices are only deciding whether states have standing to sue in the first place, they’re not going to make a ruling on the merits.
Pope Francis visits the Congo
Pope Francis is urging the people of the Congo to forgive those who have hurt them. He just said a mass before an estimated 1 million people who waited days to see him. The eastern side of the country has experienced decades of violence, and millions have fled. The pope said forgiving doesn’t mean pretending nothing has happened, but it does create what he called an amnesty of heart.
This is the first papal visit to the African nation since St. John Paul II went in 1985.
Artificial intelligence college essays
ChatGPT is the artificial intelligence software that can write human-like text. And one user put it to the test.
They asked ChatGPT to write an essay comparing and contrasting the theories of nationalism of Benedict Anderson and Ernest Gellner. The user then shared ChatGPT’s work.
“We’re witnessing the death of the college essay in realtime. Solid A- work in 10 seconds,” the user said.
Chat’s parent company, OpenAI, now says they’ve created a classifier to help identify human text versus AI text. They say it will help people recognize automated AI written misinformation campaigns and academic dishonesty.
But the system isn’t perfect. In a test, it correctly identified 26% of AI-written text. And it incorrectly labeled human-written text as AI-written 9% of the time.
Monarch butterfly population rebounds
Researchers say 330,000 Monarch butterflies are wintering in California and Arizona this year. That’s the highest number they’ve counted in six years and nearly 100,000 more than last year. Biologists say this is something to celebrate and shows the butterflies have a second chance. but the population in the area is still significantly below what it was in the 1980s when there were millions of the black and orange insects. Scientists say the big culprit is over development along their migration route that has destroyed their habitat, in addition to an increase in the use of pesticides and herbicides.
Congress members call for police reform legislation following Tyre Nichols’ death
The body camera footage of Tyre Nichols’ death has restarted conversation regarding police reform. Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, died three days after police pulled him over for reckless driving and beat him when he tried to flee the scene.
“First, it’s about making sure that the president knows that this is an important enough issue for him to talk about at the State of the Union,” Rep. Steven Horsford, D-Nev., said. “I’ve invited the Nichols family as the guests of the Congressional Black Caucus so they will be there on that day to hear from the president and members of Congress on both sides of the aisle how we will finally take action.”
Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., tweeted, “I’ll never stop working to create the coalition necessary to pass policing reform and to help end this.”
While some are calling for legislative change, House Oversight Chair Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, doesn’t think that’s the solution.
“Well, I don’t know that there’s any law that can stop that evil that we saw—that is just difficult to watch,” Jordan said. “What strikes me is just the lack of respect for human life.”
The most recent effort to advance police reform legislation in Congress came in 2021 after Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of second and third-degree murder charges for the death of George Floyd. Sen. Booker worked across the aisle with Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., to negotiate the legislation, but they ultimately failed to come to an agreement. The sticking points reportedly included qualified immunity and disagreement from police unions.
The federal COVID emergency will officially come to an end this spring; winter weather is again grounding flights nationwide; first responders involved in the Tyre Nichols case have been fired; and an appeals court rules that Johnson and Johnson cannot use a subsidiary to protect itself from lawsuits. These stories and more highlight the daily morning rundown for Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2023.
COVID emergency to end May 11
President Joe Biden has informed Congress that he is ending the national emergency and public health emergency for COVID-19 on May 11. That means the federal government’s response will move from fighting the coronavirus as a pandemic to an endemic. The public health emergency was first declared on Jan. 31, 2020, the national emergency was enacted that March.
Winter weather hits from Texas to Kentucky
So far Tuesday morning, more than 1,700 flights have been canceled and more than 8,000 delayed due to a winter ice storm that’s moving from Texas through Oklahoma, Kentucky and Pennsylvania. It has the potential to cause dangerous travel conditions and power outages for at least the next 48 hours.
U.S. sending weapons to Korean peninsula
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is in Seoul, South Korea, where overnight, he announced the U.S. will send more advanced weapons, including fighter jets and bombers, to the Korean peninsula. This is in response to what the Defense Department says is a growing nuclear threat from North Korea. Austin also said the two countries have agreed to expand military exercises, including live fire demonstrations.
“The U.S. commitment to the defense of Korea is ironclad. You heard us say that a number of times, but that’s not just a slogan, it’s what we are all about,” Austin said. “That commitment is ironclad. And our extended deterrence is at the heart of that commitment.”
The U.S. has more than 28,000 service members deployed in South Korea.
First responders fired in Tyre Nichols case
The Memphis fire department announced two EMTs have been fired for failing to conduct an adequate patient assessment of Tyre Nichols. The department also says a lieutenant was fired for waiting in the engine after their team responded to a report of someone being pepper sprayed.
In addition, the Memphis Police Department says two more officers have been suspended, including one who tased Nichols. The department says there are numerous charges still developing and more personnel actions will be announced in the coming days.
Nichols died Jan. 10 after being beaten by police. Five officers were fired and charged with murder.
Appeals court rules against Johnson & Johnson
An appeals court unanimously ruled that Johnson and Johnson cannot use a subsidiary to protect itself from lawsuits.
J&J created LTL Management LLC in 2021 to make it responsible for liability it is facing in 38,000 lawsuits that claim the company’s talc based powder causes cancer. The plan was to file the subsidiary for bankruptcy.
Johnson & Johnson and other companies have tried to do this using a Texas law, but the Third U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals shot that down.
Biden to kick-off NY-NJ tunnel project
President Biden will be in New York City today to kick off a new tunnel project between the Big Apple and New Jersey. This is a key corridor for commuters going in and out of NYC serving about 200,000 passengers per day.
The tunnel flooded during superstorm Sandy, which led to corrosion that continues to get worse.
The federal government will provide $292 million for the initial concrete casing from the bipartisan infrastructure law the president signed in 2021. Ultimately, the full tunnel construction will cost $16 billion.
On Monday, the president announced billions in funding for a 150-year-old rail tunnel in Baltimore. He said every day that tunnel shuts down, it costs the economy $100 million.
“Ninety-nine percent of the weekdays, there’s been a delay here somewhere. Trust me, I know. This tunnel is nearly, as I said, 150 years old. This is Civil War era when Ulysses S. Grant was president. The structure is deteriorating. The roof is leaking, the floor is sinking,” Biden said.
Right now, trains are stuck going 30 miles per hour in the Baltimore tunnel. When the new one is complete, trains will fly through at 120 miles per hour and get from Baltimore to D.C. in 30 minutes.
Boeing delivering last 747 jumbo jet
Since 1969, the Boeing 747 jumbo jet has served as a cargo plane, a passenger jet that can carry 500 passengers, it carried NASA space shuttles, and flew as Air Force One. But today marks the end of an era because Boeing will deliver its final 747 jumbo. The jet revolutionized travel and allowed people to travel overseas distances never before possible. But companies like Boeing and Airbus have since developed far more efficient planes that run on two engines, instead of four.
Humans and dolphin fish in harmony
New research shows that humans and dolphins can successfully work together to catch more fish. Researchers used drones, sound recordings and other tools to show how Brazilian fisherman and bottlenose dolphins help each other to catch mullet.
The researchers say this is a cultural tradition that’s been going on for more than a century in Laguna, Brazil. But they worry new commercial fishing methods could bring it to an end.
6th Memphis officer relieved of duty over Tyre Nichols beating
A few days after the Memphis Police Department released graphic video of officers beating Tyre Nichols, the department announced Monday a sixth officer has been disciplined. Unlike the five officers who have been fired and charged with murder in Nichols’ death, Preston Hemphill was suspended shortly after the incident earlier this month.
Monday a spokesperson for the department said word of Hemphill’s suspension was not immediately released because he was not fired and the department typically releases information about officers who are relieved of duty after an investigation ends. The Memphis police spokesperson did not disclose the officer’s role in Nichols’ arrest and beating.
The Memphis Police Department is not the only law enforcement agency disciplining officials in the wake of Nichols’ death. Two Shelby County sheriff’s deputies have been relieved of duty without pay while their conduct is investigated, and two Memphis Fire Department workers were also removed from duty. Calls for more officers to be fired or charged have been loud and persistent from the Nichols family, their lawyers and community activists since the video was released.
“Questions were raised before the video was released, I raised those questions,” Rodney Wells, Nichols’ stepfather, told The Associated Press. “I just felt there was more than five officers out there. Now, five were charged with murder because they were the main participants, but there were five or six other officers out there that didn’t do anything to render any aid. So they are just as culpable as the officers who threw the blows.”
As investigations continue, it was announced Sunday that Wells and Nichols’ mother RowVaughn Wells will attend President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address next month. They were invited by Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Rep. Steven Horsford, D-Nev. The caucus also said it was in talks with the White House about a meeting to discuss police reform.
