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."
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Thursday testified before the House that the government is ready to step in with more help for bank depositors if necessary
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has released a plan to overhaul the nation's organ transplant system, which has long been plagued by sometimes lethal delays and IT failures.
California may become the first state in the nation to outlaw caste-based bias, a safeguard people of South Asian descent say is necessary to protect them from discrimination in housing, education and the tech sector where they hold key roles.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis ' administration is moving to forbid classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in all grades, expanding the controversial law critics call “Don't Say Gay” as the Republican governor continues to focus on cultural issues ahead of his expected presidential run.
Lawmakers grilled TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew on Thursday in a high-stakes hearing on the future of the popular, Chinese-owned video sharing platform in the U.S.
The pay is a driving factor behind a three-day strike that has shut down the entire Los Angeles school system and put a spotlight on the paltry pay of support staff that serves as the backbone of schools nationwide.
Musician Bruce Springsteen, actress Mindy Kaling and designer, Vera Wang were some of the celebrities honored at the White House on Tuesday. President Biden and his wife Dr Jill Biden gave honorees medals. Other honorees included Gladys Knight, Julia Louis Dreyfus and Amy Tan. The medals are Biden's first batch of awards for the arts and humanities. They were delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
