Protests rippled throughout the country this weekend after the death of George Floyd, a black man killed in police custody in Minneapolis, Minnesota last week. At least 40 cities have imposed curfews due to the protests, which have at times turned violent, and the National Guard has been activated in at least 23 states and Washington, DC.
Images of the unrest have been eye-opening, and many put a spotlight on police use of force when dealing with the protestors.
One of the most shocking images from the protests this past weekend is one from Saturday evening in which two marked NYPD SUV's are driven into a crowd of protestors — drawing fierce criticism.
"These officers need to be brought in and need to be charged," said Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke, (D-N.Y. 9th district). "They had alternatives, they could have reversed their vehicles...they could have called for backup. They could have called for community affairs to come in to help open up the roadway," she continued.
More police training for protests may be the answer, Clarke said. "We have a very young force here in NYC, and it's important that if, in fact, we are encouraging de-escalation training, that they put it into effect. We have not seen evidence of that in central Brooklyn."
She also cited an incident that was caught on tape where a police officer pushed a female protester to the ground.
Clarke did not condemn the entire police force but she was clear that change has to happen for those officers who refuse to respect members of the community.
"The overwhelming number of officers that I know that patrol the communities in the 9th District of New York have the temperament to be on the force," said Clarke. "There are those bad apples, however, and those bad apples have to be rooted out."
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The Federal Reserve cut its key interest rate by a quarter-point Wednesday and projected it would do so twice more this year as concern grows at the central bank about the health of the nation’s labor market. The move is the Fed’s first cut since December and lowered its short-term rate to about 4.1%, down from 4.3%. Fed officials, led by Chair Jerome Powell, had kept their rate unchanged this year as they evaluated the impact of tariffs, tighter immigration enforcement, and other Trump administration policies on inflation and the economy. The only dissenter was Stephen Miran, the recent Trump-appointee.
After a late-night vote and last-minute ruling, the Federal Reserve began a key meeting on interest rate policy Tuesday with both a new Trump administration appointee and an official the White House has targeted for removal.
The Trump administration has issued its first warnings to online services that offer unofficial versions of popular drugs like the blockbuster obesity treatment Wegovy.
Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama says his new Cabinet will include an artificial intelligence “minister” in charge of fighting corruption. The AI, named Diella, will oversee public funding projects and combat corruption in public tenders. Diella was launched earlier this year as a virtual assistant on the government's public service platform. Corruption has been a persistent issue in Albania since 1990. Rama's Socialist Party won a fourth consecutive term in May. It aims to deliver EU membership for Albania in five years, but the opposition Democratic Party remains skeptical.
The Trump administration has asked an appeals court to remove Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve’s board of governors by Monday, before the central bank’s next vote on interest rates. Trump sought to fire Cook Aug. 25, but a federal judge ruled late Tuesday that the removal was illegal and reinstated her to the Fed’s board.
