The murder trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, accused of killing George Floyd, is set to begin with opening statements on Monday (March 29).
Chauvin is one of four cops who arrested and subdued Floyd last May on suspicion that the 46-year-old African-American had tried to buy groceries with a counterfeit $20 bill.
Video of the arrest showed Chauvin put his knee on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes, while Floyd protested he could not breath.
Floyd's death sparked renewed and sometimes destructive protests against police brutality last summer across the U.S. and abroad.
Chauvin, who is white, was subsequently fired, and is now charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter.
He claims he was following police procedure when he arrested Floyd.
In pre-trail motions and through two weeks of jury selection, his lawyers tried to get the trial moved to a different county, arguing it would be impossible to find jurors unfamiliar with the case.
Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill rejected that bid, but criticized the city's decision to announce a $27 million settlement with Floyd's family while jurors were being vetted.
The most serious charge facing Chauvin carries a sentence of up to 15 years in prison.
California Could Get up to 10 Feet of Snow , as Blizzard Approaches.
A blizzard will reach the Sierra Nevada on the night of Feb. 29 and last until March 3, NBC News reports. .
The storm's peak could bring
1 to 2 inches of snow per hour.
Wind gusts up to 100 mph are also possible.
Donner Pass could see up to 10 feet of snow, while Blue Canyon could accumulate as much as 7 feet. .
Lake Tahoe is forecast to get 3 to 6 feet of snow, and Pollock Pines could get up to 3 feet. .
Up until now, below average snowfall
has accumulated in the Sierra,
leading to as much as an 8-foot deficit.
This storm has the potential to
set a new record, NBC News reports.
It could also create a surplus in
areas where there are deficits. .
Experts are warning about the
possibility of avalanches, "especially
in the backcountry," NBC News reports. .
Meanwhile, states to the east
are experiencing record warmth.
Cities that have experienced their
warmest February on record include
Albany, Chicago, Des Moines, Fargo.
Cities that have experienced their
warmest February on record include
Albany, Chicago, Des Moines, Fargo.
Green Bay, Little Rock, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Syracuse and Tulsa. .
Green Bay, Little Rock, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Syracuse and Tulsa. .
Green Bay, Little Rock, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Syracuse and Tulsa.
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:30Published
This Day in History: , Kendrick Lamar Becomes the
First Rapper to Win the Pulitzer Prize.
April 16, 2018.
Lamar was awarded the
Pulitzer Prize for Music for his
extraordinary 2017 album, 'DAMN.'.
It was the first time the
prestigious award had been granted
to a genre outside of classical music or jazz.
According to the Pulitzer Prize administrator,
the decision to recognize
Lamar's work was unanimous.
['DAMN' is] a virtuosic song collection unified by its vernacular authenticity and rhythmic dynamism that offers affecting vignettes capturing the complexity of modern African-American life, Pulitzer Prize
Awarding Committee.
Lamar grew up during the 1990s
in Compton, CA, surrounded by the
influence of artists like Tupac Shakur and Dr. Dre.
His previous album efforts
became known for their social commentary.
A fellow nominee called Lamar
“one of the greatest living American composers, for sure.”
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 00:54Published
This Day in History:, Jackie Robinson Breaks Color Barrier.
April 15, 1947.
The 28-year-old baseball player
became the first African American
to play for Major League Baseball.
The Georgia native stepped onto the grass
of Ebbots Field in Brooklyn as a Brooklyn Dodger.
Two years later,
the star infielder was named the
National League's MVP as well as a batting champ.
He led his team to six National League
pennants and the World Series in 1955.
Robinson was subjected
to the racism of both players and
baseball fans throughout his career.
Jim Crow laws forced him to dine
at different restaurants and stay at
different hotels than the rest of his team.
Robinson was inducted into
the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962.
His number, 42, was the the first to be retired in 1997
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 00:58Published
Donald Trump's supporters have resorted to creating and circulating AI-generated counterfeit images depicting black voters, purportedly to sway African Americans towards Republican voting. BBC Panorama's investigation unearthed numerous deep fakes portraying individuals of African descent endorsing the former president. Despite Mr. Trump's overt attempts to court black voters, crucial for Joe Biden's victory in 2020, there is no direct evidence linking these manipulated images to his campaign. Co-founder of Black Voters Matter, an organisation advocating for black voter participation, highlighted these manipulated visuals as part of a calculated effort to construct a false narrative portraying Mr. Trump has been widely embraced within the black community.
#USElection #TrumpSupporters #AIimages #FakeNews #Disinformation #AfricanAmericanVoters #ManipulatedMedia #VoterTargeting #PoliticalDeception #ElectionInterference #BlackVoters #TrumpCampaign #DigitalManipulation #RacialTargeting #SocialMediaManipulation #PoliticalPropaganda #FalseNarratives #Misinformation #ElectoralInfluence #MediaForgery
~HT.178~PR.152~ED.103~GR.124~
This Day in History:, Malcolm X Is Assassinated.
February 21, 1965.
Malcolm X was assassinated by rivals
of the Nation of Islam in New York City.
He had been addressing his Organization
of Afro-American Unity at the Audubon
Ballroom in Washington Heights.
Founded months earlier, the organization
advocated black identity and held that racism —
not whites — was the greatest foe of the African American.
The Nation of Islam advocated
Black nationalism and racial separatism.
Malcolm’s new movement steadily
gained followers, becoming increasingly
influential in the civil rights movement.
An estimated 30,000 mourners
attended his funeral in Harlem
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 00:47Published
The cashier who took what appeared to be a fake $20 bill from George Floyd at a convenience store last May, triggering Floyd's arrest and subsequent death, said he felt guilty over the whole incident...
Chauvin faces murder and manslaughter charges for the death of George Floyd. The prosecution continued laying out its case, including playing new video from that day. Michael George reports.
The convenience store cashier who sold cigarettes to George Floyd and was handed a counterfeit 20-dollar note in return has given evidence at police officer Derek Chauvin’s murder trial.
Credit: PA - Press Association STUDIO Duration: 00:51Published