Nearly six years after Eric Garner uttered his last words, “I can’t breathe,” after being choked to death by New York City police officer Daniel Pantaleo, his words have come back to stun America after George Floyd died saying the same three words. Hearing those words all over again for Gwen Carr, Eric Garner’s mother, was daunting.
In a recent interview with NBC News, Carr said, “It was déjà vu all over again. It’s like a reoccurring nightmare.”
In response to the video of Floyd, “I don’t see any justification,” she said. “To put your knee on someone’s neck, you are obstructing their breathing. That is completely a no-no.”
In July of 2014, Garner was recorded on the cell phone video camera of a bystander who documented his encounter with NYPD. During his last moments, he said, “I can’t breathe” 11 times as he was in a chokehold. Garner’s death sparked national unrest and outrage as protestors took to the streets. His last words went on to become chants at rallies around the world and the sentiments of how black people feel living under oppression in America.
Garner’s death was a part of what some considered to be a Red Summer.
Right after he lost his life, John Crawford was killed in Beavercreek, Ohio on August 5. Michael Brown Jr was killed in the streets of Ferguson, Missouri. Ezell Ford was gunned down in Los Angeles on August 11. And, Dante Parker was slain in Victorville, California, on Aug.12.
As history repeats itself and people take to the streets, it is the hope of many that Floyd’s death and the civil unrest will prompt the justice system and the nation to change.
Carr’s hope is that Floyd’s family receives justice more expeditiously than she and her family did for Garner.
Because of the effects of the coronavirus, global-scale lockdowns, and quarantines, people have become prone to anxiety, depression, and even suicide, especially in the wake of a global recession and mass layoffs. And with90% of minority businesseslocked out of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), there can be added worries and concerns among employees.
For businesses thatnow work remotely, it can be even more challenging to become a champion for employees’ mental health. Butit doesn’t take much effort to do so. All employers need to do is follow these 10 tips to support your remote employees’ mental health.
10 Tips to Support Mental Health of Remote Employees
1. Do regular face-to-face check-ins
In this2020 State Remote Work report, loneliness is still ranked as one of the biggest challenges that a remote worker faces in their everyday life. In the United States, loneliness is considered an epidemic– and the risks are heightened when people are discouraged from going outside amidst a global pandemic.
So one way to show remote workers you’re there for them? Doing regular non-work-related check-ins.
Use youronline collaboration toolsto schedule a time to meet, either one-on-one or as a group. Strike a balance between checking in with employees individually and as a team.
If you’ve never done this regularly, it may be a little awkward at first. So, ease everyone in with somevirtual icebreakersto lighten the mood and get everyone out of work mode.
2. Offer added benefits and perks
Can you perhaps offer additional benefits or perks for employees during these trying times? Some employers are now consideringhealth plansthat include mental health services for employees to enjoy– and it can be a good benefit to add if you can’t hand out raises as often as before.
If changing your company health plan isn’t an option, you can give smaller, one-time perks instead. For example, help your remote team build their dreamproductive workspace at homeby subsidizing expenses for certain office supplies or equipment.
3. Send a mental health survey
Sometimes employees can’t open up about their mental health concerns in a virtual meeting. Some might find it easier to evaluate their wellbeing if they’re sent a guided survey or form to express where they’re struggling.
A mental health survey tells you as the employer where you can support your employees more in a very specific way. Encourage employees to be very honest when answering this survey, especially if it means it will help you support them emotionally and mentally in and out of work.
4. Encourage employees to take leaves from work
Sometimes remote employees may feel they aren’t entitled to take leaves because they already work from home and have greater flexibility. But everyone needs to take a break from work, even for a few days. Encourage employees to take their paid leaves or apply for unpaid leave whenever needed.
An effective way to encourage employees to do this? Model the behavior yourself:take leavesfrom work and show employees that rest is an essential part of their work lives.
5. Share mental health resources in a dedicated newsletter or channel
Sometimes sharing resources like articles or videos about mental health are enough to show employees you’re thinking about their wellbeing. Regularly send new resources to help them manage stress, reduce anxiety, or get over relatable work issues like being “always on” or being afraid of taking breaks from work.
Share these in a dedicated Slack channel for mental health, so everyone knows where to find them. Or send them in a company newsletter each week.
5. Create a company exercise calendar
There are strong links that support physical exercise being one of the most effective ways to alleviate stress and boost the spirit. As a business owner, try to find ways to get everyone to stay active, even if they’re stuck at home.
One fun way to do this is creating a company exercise calendar, or scheduling different physical activities anyone can do. For example, you can schedule a weekly dance party or invite instructors for a fun company yoga session online.
6. Express gratitude often
Gratitude is one of the only things you can give away without losing anything in return. And when it comes to your employees, expressing gratitude can help boost morale and make them feel appreciated.
Work gets stressful for everybody, but you should still reward good work and employee presence with praise. Thank everyone individually for their contributions and even praise teams for jobs well done in public Slack channels or company newsletters.
7. Put up extracurriculars and team-building activities
Give employees something to look forward to each week or month with extracurriculars they can join outside work. Encourage teams to start book or film clubs, get everyone together for a team talent show, or just have a good time playing virtual games with each other.
You can even encourage ownership of these tasks by getting volunteers to manage these activities. It can be a great way to empower employees to contribute in ways outside work and really highlight their personal strengths.
8. Host or sponsor mental health seminars
Try inviting mental health coaches to come aboard one day and give intimate seminars to the company. This can be a space for your remote employees to talk to real professionals in the mental health industry about actual issues and concerns that may be bothering them.
These seminars may also benefit you, since you can see areas to support employees in more intimate or much-needed ways. The mental health industry constantly sees changes and improvements in their research and studies, and it doesn’t hurt to stay informed.
9. Empower employees to help their communities
Sometimes we can uplift ourselves when we uplift others. Inspire a sense of community and contribution within your company by starting a volunteer program or fundraising campaign, especially in causes that matter most to your employees.
For example, Diishan Imira ofMayvenn, an online platform that helps hair stylists connect and gain new clients and customers, started a#SaveTheSalon fundraising campaign.
She and her company sought to help displaced hair stylists whose incomes were severely cut because of the recent COVID-19 measures that closed down several industries, including salons, out of safety risks.
10. Put employees’ well-being first
When you take care of employees, your employees take care of business. This maxim is especially true in a remote workforce that eliminates in-person interactions.
Follow these 10 tips to help you become champions of your remote employees’ mental health, and you’ll see a happier, healthier workforce who’ll stay with you for the long haul.
Passenger jets and cruise ships normally gather key weather data. But full docks and empty skies make it hard to predict the details of incoming storms.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A full autopsy of George Floyd, the handcuffed Black man who died after being restrained by Minneapolis police, was released Wednesday and provides several clinical details, including that Floyd had previously tested positive for COVID-19.
The 20-page report released by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office came with the family’s permission and after the coroner’s office released summary findings Monday that Floyd had a heart attack while being restrained by officers, and classified his May 25 death as a homicide.
Bystander video showing Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin pressing his knee on Floyd’s neck, ignoring Floyd’s “I can’t breathe” cries until he eventually stopped moving, has sparked nationwide protests, some violent.
George Floyd and Minneapolis Police officer assaulting him (Family photo from Ben Crump and Screenshot from incident)
The report by Chief Medical Examiner Andrew Baker spelled out clinical details, including that Floyd had tested positive for COVID-19 on April 3 but appeared asymptomatic. The report also noted Floyd’s lungs appeared healthy but he had some narrowing of arteries in the heart.
The county’s earlier summary report had listed fentanyl intoxication and recent methamphetamine use under “other significant conditions” but not under “cause of death.” The full report’s footnotes noted that signs of fentanyl toxicity can include “severe respiratory depression” and seizures.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison on Wednesday upgraded charges against Chauvin to 2nd-degree murder, and also charged the three other officers on the scene with aiding and abetting.
Floyd family attorney, Ben Crump, earlier decried the official autopsy — as described in the original complaint against Chauvin — for ruling out asphyxia. An autopsy commissioned by the Floyd family concluded that he died of asphyxiation due to neck and back compression.
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As cities around the nation continue to grapple with mostly peaceful and a few violent protests, most governors have had their hands full trying to balance their response. Not so with the West Virginia governor Jim Justice.
The Republican governor was talking to reporters about his willingness to host lthe Republican National Convention if it was relocated from Charlotte, North Carolina. The governor, who had been on a call with President Trump, found out his state wasn’t in the running but said West Virginia was open to any former president…except the 44th one.
“I wanted him to know just how welcome he is in West Virginia, and any president, we should absolutely welcome…except maybe Barack Obama,” Justice said, laughing. “But nevertheless, we’ll welcome any president.”
Gov. Justice (R-WV), while discussing the relocation of the RNC Convention, says the state would welcome “any president” except “maybe not Barack Obama.” pic.twitter.com/JBM4JKh590
Justice, reports Bloomberg, is a billionaire with no previous political experience. As he made his money in coal and agriculture, he says he comments, made in just have more to do with Obama’s ‘war on coal’ and its impact on West Virginia, which is one of the leading states for coal mining.
“I want to love everybody, and by that, I mean everybody, including President Obama,” Justice said in the statement. “But, at the end of the day, what happened to West Virginia during his time in the Oval Office will take us decades and decades to recover from, if ever.”
Coal as a heating source has fallen out of favor in recent years, losing ground to cheaper natural gas and renewable energy sources. 2018 marked the lowest coal consumption in 39 years, according to Climatenexus.org. But contrary to Justice’s statement, the site reports that coal plant closings in Trump’s first two years were more than the number that closed during the first five years of Obama’s time in the White House.
Justice, according to Bloomberg, was also criticized for referring to a local girl’s basketball team of mostly Black players ‘a bunch of thugs,’ a few months ago.
His response to that was “First of all, I would tell them that I’m really sorry if I’ve done anything that has offended them. But secondly, I would just say this, Barack Obama used that term,” he told WCHS-TV days after.
In 2016, Justice won the governor’s race as a Democrat, but told his constituents he had switched parties at a Trump rally in the first year of taking office.
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Controversial sports TV personality Jason Whitlock has departed Fox Sports and his signature show Speak for Yourself. For some, that comes as good news as the controversial sports announcer had his fair share of detractors, especially in the Black community.
Speak for Yourself, co-starring former NFL defensive end Marcellus Wiley, has been on the air with Whitlock as host since 2016. Wiley replaced former co-host Colin Cowherd, who now has his own show, The Herd on FS1.
Whitlock and the network couldn’t agree to terms on a new contract, reported Outkick.
“Friday was Jason Whitlock’s last day with Fox Sports,” the network told the New York Post in a statement. “We thank Jason for all of his hard work and dedication to the network, and we wish him the best in his future endeavors.”
RIVERDALE, GA – NOVEMBER 16: Colin Kaepernick looks to make a pass during a private NFL workout held at Charles R Drew high school on November 16, 2019 in Riverdale, Georgia. Due to disagreements between Kaepernick and the NFL the location of the workout was abruptly changed. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
Whitlock became a controversial figure for his often adversarial take on Black community issues. He disagreed with Colin Kaepernick’s anthem protest. He was also critical of Kobe Bryant but then was overcome with emotion when he died.
An Indianapolis native, after playing Division 1 football at Indiana’s Ball State University, Whitlock, 53, got his big breakthrough writing for the Kansas City Star and then ESPN. He was a regular host on ESPN, before a controversial interview where he called longtime sports reporter Mike Lupica “mean-spirited” and African-American sportswriter Scoop Jackson “a clown.” Both of them were then also his colleagues at ESPN.
Recently, reports Cleveland.com, Whitlock criticized LeBron James for his stance on Ahmaud Arbery, saying that James was ‘branding himself’ as a more outspoken athlete than Micheal Jordan, especially as the G.O.A.T. between them debate raged after the ESPN doc The Last Dance.
Whitlock is said to be looking to develop his own media property. However, he was fired from The Undefeated, ESPN’s Black portal after he alienated staff and drew the ire of writer Greg Howard, who wrote a series of unflattering pieces on his stint there for Deadspin.
Wiley will continue to host Speak for Yourself with a new co-host yet to be determined. The fates of regulars Uncle Jimmy, intern Darnell, and contributors and former athletes Jimmy Jackson, Lavar Arrington, TJ Houshmandzadeh, and other regulars, including Micheal Vick, is unclear.
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Ice cream maker Ben & Jerry’s has always taken a strong stance when it comes to social justice and this week they released a statement condemning the “inhumane police brutality” that lead to the death of George Floyd.
“All of us at Ben & Jerry’s are outraged about the murder of another Black person by Minneapolis police officers last week and the continued violent response by police against protestors,” the company began.
Signs, artwork and flowers were placed by people showing up to pay their respects and to protest at the intersection of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue in South Minneapolis, in front of the CUP Foods where George Floyd died earlier in the week, Saturday, May 30 2020. (Scott Takushi / MediaNews Group / St. Paul Pioneer Press via Getty Images)
“We have to speak out. We have to stand together with the victims of murder, marginalization, and repression because of their skin color, and with those who seek justice through protests across our country. We have to say his name: George Floyd.”
The message then went on to connect America’s racist roots and a long history of systemic oppression to the continued racial bias displayed by police departments all over the nation.
“The murder of George Floyd was the result of inhumane police brutality that is perpetuated by a culture of white supremacy,” the company wrote, opining that what happened to him, “is the fruit borne of toxic seeds planted on the shores of our country in Jamestown in 1619, when the first enslaved men and women arrived on this continent. Floyd is the latest in a long list of names that stretches back to that time and that shore. Some of those names we know — Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Oscar Grant,Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Emmett Till, Martin Luther King, Jr. — most we don’t.”
They also called on President Donald Trump to disavow, “white supremacists and nationalist groups that overtly support him,” and to allow stop using his Twitter feed to “promote and normalize their ideas and agendas.”
WASHINGTON (AP) — In an extraordinary rebuke, former defense secretary Jim Mattis on Wednesday denounced President Donald Trump‘s heavy-handed use of military force to quell protests and said his former boss was setting up a “false conflict” between the military and civilian society.
“I have watched this week’s unfolding events, angry and appalled,” Mattis wrote.
The criticism was all the more remarkable because Mattis has generally kept a low profile since retiring as defense secretary in December 2018 to protest Trump’s Syria policy. He had declined to speak out against Trump, saying he owed the nation public silence while his former boss remained in office.
But he’s speaking out after this past week’s protests in response to the death of George Floyd in police custody.
Mattis had a scathing description of Trump’s walk to a historic nearby church Monday to pose with a Bible after law enforcement forcibly cleared Lafayette Park of mostly peaceful protesters.
U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis (C) and Energy Secretary Rick Perry (R) listen to President Donald Trump speak during a luncheon with the leaders of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania on April 3, 2018 at The White House in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chris Kleponis-Pool/Getty Images)
He said he never dreamed troops “would be ordered under any circumstance to violate the Constitutional rights of their fellow citizens — much less to provide a bizarre photo op for the elected commander-in-chief, with military leadership standing alongside.”
“Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people —does not even pretend to try. Instead he tries to divide us,” Mattis wrote in a statement published by The Atlantic. “We are witnessing the consequences of three years of this deliberate effort. We are witnessing the consequences of three years without mature leadership.”
Mattis called on Americans to “unite without him, drawing on the strengths inherent in our civil society. This will not be easy, as the past few days have shown, but we owe it to our fellow citizens; to past generations that bled to defend our promise; and to our children.”
Mattis said of the protesters that Americans should not be distracted by a small number of lawbreakers. He said they are rightly demanding that the country follow the words of “Equal Justice Under Law” that are on display at the U.S. Supreme Court.
“The protests are defined by tens of thousands of people of conscience who are insisting that we live up to our values — our values as people and our values as a nation,” Mattis said.
Mattis took particular issue with the use of force to move back protesters so Trump could visit St. John’s Church the day after it was damaged by fire during protests.
“We know that we are better than the abuse of executive authority that we witnessed in Lafayette Square. We must reject and hold accountable those in office who would make a mockery of our Constitution,” Mattis said.
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Shaun Robinson is an award-winning journalist doing big things, but it seems she may be harboring some resentment for her former Access Hollywood costar, Billy Bush.
She took to Twitter to throw some shade at the host after he promoted an EXTRA segment he did on the George Floyd protests.
“I appreciate you being an ally now. But, if you want to talk about the pain White Privilege causes African Americans, you should probably also talk to the Black woman who sat next to you on the set of Access Hollywood for years,” she posted.
Good Morning @thebillybush. I appreciate you being an ally NOW. But, if you want to talk about the pain #WhitePrivilege causes African Americans, you should probably also talk to the black woman who sat next to you on the set of #AccessHollywood for years. https://t.co/CN5jnJ4NOb
Robinson didn’t elaborate on the “pain” Bush’s white privilege may have caused, but we have a feeling there’s plenty of tea to spill about their time as coworkers.
Even though we’re used to President Donald Trump’s vulgar comments about women and minorities by now, a conversation he had with Bush shocked the nation during the 2016 election. A leaked Access Hollywood video from 2005 showing Trump and host Bush making lewd comments about women — including remarks that should be understood as sexual assault — was one of the first huge red flags about our future POTUS.
At the time, former presidential candidate Ben Carsoncharacterized the comments as “normal” conversation between men. But there’s nothing normal about men bragging that their stardom allows them to “do anything” they want to women, as Trump said, including grabbing them “by the p—y.”
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WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Wednesday he opposes use of Insurrection Act, which would allow President Donald Trump to use active-duty forces for law enforcement duties.
Speaking to reporters at the Pentagon, Esper said active-duty troops in a law enforcement role should be used in the United States “only in the most urgent and dire of situations,” adding, “We are not in one of those situations now.”
Use of the Insurrection Act has been discussed as Trump has talked about using the military to quell violent protests in U.S. cities.
Trump on Wednesday took credit for a massive deployment of National Guard troops and federal law enforcement officers to the nation’s capital, saying it offered a model to states on how to quell protests nationwide.
A demonstrator kneels during a march in response to George Floyd’s death on June 2, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images)
Trump argued that the massive show of force was responsible for protests in Washington and other cities turning more calm in recent days and repeated his criticism of governors who have not deployed their National Guard to the fullest.
It was a striking contrast to the harsh crackdowns outside the White House on Monday night, advocated by the president who wanted to make the aggressive action in the nation’s capital an example for the rest of the country, a senior White House official said Tuesday.
“You have to have a dominant force,” Trump told Fox New Radio on Wednesday. “We need law and order.”
He quickly pivoted to the politics of the moment, adding, “You notice that all of these places that have problems, they’re not run by Republicans. They’re run by liberal Democrats.”
The Defense Department has drafted contingency plans for deploying active-duty military if needed. Pentagon documents reviewed by The Associated Press showed plans for soldiers from an Army division to protect the White House and other federal buildings if the security situation in the nation’s capital were to deteriorate and the National Guard could not secure the facilities.
But interest in exerting that extraordinary federal authority appeared to be waning in the White House. Though the crackdown on the Washington demonstrations was praised by some Trump supporters Tuesday, a handful of Republicans expressed concern that law enforcement officers risked violating the protesters’ First Amendment rights. Trump’s defense secretary also distanced himself from Trump’s decision to walk across Lafayette Park for a photo opportunity at a church after the demonstrators had been cleared.
Esper, who walked with Trump to St. John’s Church on Monday evening, insisted he did not know the president’s destination.
U.S. President Donald Trump (C) waves to journalists as he returns to the White House after posing for photographs in front of St. John’s Episcopal Church June 01, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
“I didn’t know where I was going,” Esper told NBC News. He said he had expected to view damage to a bathroom facility that had been vandalized in Lafayette Park, across from the White House, and talk with National Guard troops positioned there.
Protests have sprung up following the death of George Floyd, a black man who died after a white Minneapolis police officer pinned him down and pressed Floyd’s neck with his knee. Violent demonstrations have raged in scores of American cities, a level of unrest unseen for decades.
The situation in Washington escalated Monday, becoming a potent symbol of Trump’s policing tactics and a physical manifestation of the rhetorical culture war he has stoked since before he was elected. Nearly 30 minutes before a 7 p.m. curfew in Washington, U.S. Park Police repelled protesters with what they said were smoke canisters and pepper balls.
“D.C. had no problems last night. Many arrests. Great job done by all. Overwhelming force. Domination,” Trump tweeted Tuesday, after a night in which heavily armed military forces and federal officers swarmed the city. Trump added, “(thank you President Trump!).”
The clampdown followed a weekend of demonstrations outside the White House. Trump had been furious about images juxtaposing fires set in the park outside the executive mansion with a darkened White House in the background, according to current and former campaign and administration officials. He was also angry about the news coverage revealing he had been rushed to the White House bunker during Friday’s protests.
In a Monday address in the Rose Garden, he called on governors to ramp up the National Guard presence to tamp down the protests. If they didn’t, Trump said, he would dispatch the military to their states — a step rarely taken in modern American history.
The federal government has provided affected states with a list of National Guard resources available to them, the White House official said. The official added that Trump’s message to governors was that if they don’t use all the tools in their arsenal, they shouldn’t expect a sympathetic response to any request for federal dollars to help with cleanup and recovery down.
On Monday, 715 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division arrived in the capital area in case the situation in Washington escalated. They are stationed at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland and Fort Belvoir in Virginia. Two more 82nd Airborne battalions, totaling 1,300 soldiers, are on standby at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, according to documents reviewed by the AP. The plan is named Operation Themis.
Lauren Coursey, 26, protests in front of a line of Pennsylvania National Guard outside City Hall on May 31, 2020 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jessica Kourkounis/Getty Images)
The soldiers on standby in the Washington area are armed and have riot gear and bayonets. After the AP first reported the issuing of bayonets Tuesday, orders came down that soldiers would not need the knife-like weapons that can be affixed to rifles, according to two soldiers from the 82nd who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear they would be punished for commenting publicly. The idea that bayonets could be used in confronting civilians provoked an outcry on social media and among some members of Congress.
Administration officials were privately acknowledging that Monday’s events didn’t serve the administration well. Some Republican lawmakers, typically in lockstep with the president or at least refrain from publicly criticizing him, said Trump had gone too far in appearing to use force to clear the way for his visit to the church.
“There is no right to riot, no right to destroy others’ property, and no right to throw rocks at police,” said Nebraska Republican Sen. Ben Sasse. “But there is a fundamental — a constitutional — right to protest, and I’m against clearing out a peaceful protest for a photo op that treats the Word of God as a political prop.”
Former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, said of Trump posing for photos holding up a Bible, “I just wish he opened it once in a while.”
Democratic presidential candidate, former Vice President Joe Biden visits Bethel AME Church in Wilmington, Del., Monday, June 1, 2020, (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
It was Attorney General William Barr who gave the order for law enforcement to clear out the protest before Trump’s walk to the church ahead of Washington’s 7 p.m. curfew. A person familiar with the matter said the decision was made earlier Monday, but had not been executed by the time Barr arrived in Lafayette Park to survey the scene. He verbally gave the order at that time.
After the demonstrators had been pushed out of the park, Trump emerged from the White House with several officials, including Esper and Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Senior defense officials told reporters Milley was also not aware that the Park Police and law enforcement had made a decision to clear the square or that Trump intended to visit the church. They had been in Washington to coordinate with federal law enforcement officials but were diverted to the White House to brief Trump on military preparations, the officials said.
___
Lemire reported from New York and LaPorta reported from Delray Beach, Florida. Sarah Blake Morgan in West Jefferson, North Carolina, contributed.
A man in Brooklyn was fatally shot by police on Tuesday night amid ongoing civil unrest in the country.
Reports say that officers were responding to a shooting near Kingsborough Houses in Crown Heights at about 9:30 p.m. and contend that the gunplay was not protest-related.
Members of the NYPD encountered a man who had been shot and were told by witnesses that the suspect was nearby. They located him hiding behind a tree a block away.
NYPD Chief of Department, Terence Monahan, said that the gunman came out and was advancing toward police with his gun raised. Officers and bystanders implored the man to put the gun down for over one minute. Finally, approximately 10 officers opened fire on the man, striking and killing him.
“The male refused the orders of the officers, the officers discharged their weapon at the individual and struck him,” Chief Monahan said.
Social media reports are stating that the man was struck over 19 times. He was pronounced dead on the scene. The other shooting victim was taken to a local hospital where he is in stable condition.
This is inaccurate information. The armed man who was shot by police was 34-years-old and had just shot another man. pic.twitter.com/vL0gkKYhyo
— Chief Terence Monahan (@NYPDChiefofDept) June 3, 2020
Rumors quickly spread that the man was a 13-year-old, however, he was actually 34 years old.
As the shooting took place amid a week of unrest in New York City, citizens are rightfully angry at the incident and want answers. “Y’all have on bulletproof vests, yet you’re not trained to de-escalate the situation?” One user wrote.
This is inaccurate information. The armed man who was shot by police was 34-years-old and had just shot another man. pic.twitter.com/vL0gkKYhyo
— Chief Terence Monahan (@NYPDChiefofDept) June 3, 2020
The protests over the death of George Floyd have heightened tensions between Americans and the police, even invalid police matters.
Despite the fact that the shooting is not directly related to the protests, many social many users write that the protests are in response to all police shootings. “10 police officers shot 19 times?” One user wrote, “Where is the restraint they showed Dylann Roof after he shot nine people?”
The media is saying the shooting last night in Brooklyn is unrelated to the protests. WE ARE PROTESTING POLICE BRUTALITY. 10 Police officers — shot him NINETEEN times. That’s what we’re protesting. Where’s the restraint they seem to have given Dylann Roof who killed nine people?
Bank of America hasannouncedthat it is introducing a $1 billion four-year commitment of additional support to help local communities address economic and racial inequality that has been caused by the coronavirus global pandemic. The programs will be focused on assisting people and communities of color that have been gravely affected by the health crisis.
Today we are announcing a $1 billion / 4-year commitment to support economic opportunity initiatives to combat racial inequality accelerated by the global pandemic. Read more: https://t.co/Xrl4W8KRsMpic.twitter.com/N33u01fnNk
“Underlying economic and social disparities that exist have accelerated and intensified during the global pandemic,” said CEO Brian Moynihan said in a written statement. “The events of the past week have created a sense of true urgency that has arisen across our nation, particularly in view of the racial injustices we have seen in the communities where we work and live. We all need to do more.”
According to the press release, the areas of focus will be health, jobs and training, support to small businesses, and housing.
“The programs will be executed through the company’s 90 local U.S. market presidents and non-U.S. country executives to help develop the opportunities to execute on these commitments in areas that include:
Virus testing, telemedicine, flu vaccination clinics, and other health services, with a special focus on communities of color.
Partnerships with historically black colleges and universities and Hispanic-serving institutions in the United States for hiring, research programs, and other areas of mutual opportunity.
Support to minority-owned small businesses, including clients and vendors.
Career reskilling/upskilling through partnerships with high schools and community colleges.
Operating support and investment for affordable housing/neighborhood revitalization, leveraging our nearly $5 billion in Community Development Banking.
Further recruitment and retention of teammates in low-to-moderate-income and disadvantaged communities to build on work the company has already done to serve clients locally.”
The work from Bank of America builds on steps the company has already taken, which includes an additional $100 million to support its nonprofit partners across its communities. Reports state that $250 million will assist with lending to the small and minority-owned businesses through its support of community development financial and minority depository institutions.
Since the viral video of a police officer suffocating an unarmed black man named George Floyd by placing his knee into his neck has made rounds on social media, thousands have walked out into the streets in various cities around the country and the world. There are also incidents of looters disguised as protesters. Now the daughter of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Dr. Bernice King, is stepping forward to comment on the recent string of events and protests.
Dr. Bernice King is a civil rights activist who recently commented on the death of George Floyd and others by police officers in the last few weeks. According to ABC News, King appeared live on Good Morning America Tuesday to discuss how young people are using their voices to stand up against injustice and police brutality.
“I am so proud of them first of all for the tenacity, the resilience and the vigilance that they are exercising and the determination to keep the issue of Black Lives Matter before this nation which has called so many people to lean in, in ways that I’ve never seen before in generations past,” King told Robin Roberts according to ABC News. She went on to say that her father would be proud to see so many stand up to fight against the systematic racism within our society.
“I just think my father and my mother would be extremely proud,” King added. “My mother said something so essential. She said, ‘Struggle is a never-ending process. Freedom is never really won.’ We earn it and win it in every generation and these diverse group of young people are earning and winning this freedom. We may not see the total manifestation yet, but it is on its way because of their determination and vigilance.”
According to ET Online, at a recent event in Atlanta, the activist urged protesters to continue peaceful demonstrations when she addressed the death of George Floyd.
“I’ve obviously been in the place of the daughter of George, a 6-year-old left without her daddy who was killed senselessly as my father was assassinated senselessly,” King said according to ET Online. “It sent me on a journey of anger, and I fought that demon a long time.”
King went on to say she would continue to advocate in non-violent protests in the spirit of her father’s legacy urging protesters out in the streets to do the same.
“This is a moment where people are feeling a lot of stuff right now and are fed up. And as I stand in this moment and I look at my journey, I have to make an appeal to my brothers and sisters. Because I realize that the only way to get constructive change is through non-violent means,” she continued.
NEW YORK (AP) — Former “Glee” star Lea Michele has apologized for being “unnecessarily difficult” on the set of the musical TV show after a co-star accused Michele of making her time there “a living hell.”
Michele issued a statement saying that while she didn’t recall any incident or judged anyone by their background, she was sorry and blamed her privilege and “immaturity.”
“I clearly acted in ways which hurt other people. Whether it was my privileged position and perspective that caused me to be perceived as insensitive or inappropriate at times or whether it was just my immaturity and me just being unnecessarily difficult, I apologize for my behavior and for any pain which I have caused,” she said.
The apology came two days after former co-star Samantha Marie Ware accused Michele of “traumatic microaggressions that made me question a career in Hollywood.” Michele is white and Ware is black.
Samantha Ware and Lea Michele (Credit: Ware and Michele)
After the Ware’s allegation, the meal kit company HelloFresh announced that it would sever its partnership with Michele, saying “We are disheartened and disappointed to learn of the recent claims concerning Lea Michele.”
The controversy started when Michele tweeted a comment on the death of George Floyd, a black man who died after a white officer pressed his knee into in his neck while he pleaded for air in Minnesota.
Michele tweeted her support of Black Lives Matter movement and said police violence on black people must end. Ware responded by tweeting in all caps that Michele had made her first TV job a “living hell.”
In her statement, Michele noted that she is soon to be a mother and tried to strike a hopeful note.
“I listened to these criticisms and I am learning and while I am very sorry, I will be better in the future from this experience,” she wrote. “We all can grow and change and I have definitely used these past several months to reflect my own shortcomings.”
