MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Relief, even if fleeting and momentary, is a feeling that Black Americans have rarely known in America: From slavery to Jim Crow segregation to enduring punishments for living while Black, a breath of fresh air untainted by oppression has long been hard to come by. Nonetheless, the conviction of ex-cop Derek Chauvin for murdering George Floyd nearly a year ago allowed many across this city and the nation to exhale pent-up anxiety — and to inhale a sense of hope. READ MORE: 'The Fight Isn't Over': Minnesotans Continue To Emotionally Process Chauvin Verdict But what might they feel hope for? The fate of Chauvin — found guilty of murder and manslaughter for holding a knee to Floyd’s neck, choking off his breathing until he went limp last May — showed Black Americans and their compatriots once again that the legal system is capable of valuing Black lives. Or at least it can hold one white police officer in Minnesota accountable for what many declared an unambiguous act of murder months ago. “This may be the beginning of the restoration of believing that a justice system can work,” said civil rights leader Martin Luther King III, echoing a sentiment that many expressed Tuesday. “But we have to constantly stay on the battlefield in a peaceful and nonviolent way and make demands,” he said. “This has been going on for years and one case, one verdict, does not change how systematic racism has worked in our system.” Alexandria De La Cruz, a Minneapolis mother, brought her 7-year-old daughter to the intersection near where Floyd was murdered, now dubbed George Floyd Square. Along with the hundreds who gathered there — Black, white and otherwise — De La Cruz erupted in cheers after it was announced Chauvin was guilty on all three counts. “I feel relief that the justice system is working — it’s working today,” De La Cruz said. Her daughter, Jazelle, sported a hooded sweatshirt that read, “Stop killing Black people.” Perhaps that’s a ...
Relief bill
Black Caucus: Guilty verdict a ‘catalyst’ for police reform
Emotional Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) members on Tuesday cheered a jury’s decision to find former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin guilty of murdering George Floyd, but they said the moment now demands that Congress take the next step: enacting criminal justice reform. “This is just the first step,” Rep. Joyce Beatty Joyce Birdson Beatty Black Caucus: Guilty verdict a 'catalyst' for police reform Democrats debate timing and wisdom of reparations vote Biden's DOJ civil rights nominee faces sharp GOP criticism MORE (D-Ohio), chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, said moments after the verdict was announced. “We are hopeful that today will be the catalyst to turn the pain, the agony, the justice delays into actions that go far beyond today.” Those actions primarily focus on the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which the House passed on March 3 mostly along party lines. Named for Floyd, a Black man who died last year after Chauvin knelt on his neck, the sweeping police reform package would, among other things, prohibit racial profiling at every level of law enforcement; ban chokeholds and no-knock warrants at the federal level; and overhaul qualified immunity, which provides police officers and other officials protections from lawsuits. ADVERTISEMENT Senate Republicans, however, have dismissed the Democrats’ George Floyd bill as too broad. And it’s unclear whether the two sides can reach an agreement to break a GOP filibuster and overhaul the criminal justice system. CBC leaders said they are undeterred. “Since the trial started on March 29, 63 people have died at the hands of police. In my opinion this is the human rights issue in the United States of America,” said Rep. Karen Bass Karen Ruth Bass Black Caucus: Guilty verdict a 'catalyst' for police reform Bass 'hopeful' on passing police reform: 'Republicans that I am working with are operating in good faith' Sunday shows preview: Russia, ...
Broad Support Expressed for Chauvin Conviction in George Floyd Murder Trial
Officials in the U.S. and overseas are voicing wide support for a white police officer’s murder conviction Tuesday in the death last year of a Black man, George Floyd, with President Joe Biden calling it a “much too rare” outcome in contentious confrontations between white police and minority suspects. Both Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris praised the decision hours after a racially diverse jury in Minneapolis convicted former police officer Derek Chauvin of two types of murder and manslaughter. Minutes later, he was handcuffed and jailed and now faces years in prison, when he is sentenced in eight weeks. Biden, who phoned Floyd’s family after the verdict, called it “a step forward,” but all too rare moment of justice. Studies have shown that in most such U.S. cases, police are either cleared of wrongdoing without charges or acquitted in trials. Biden said systemic racism in the U.S. is a “stain on our nation’s soul,” while saying the verdict “can be a giant step forward in the march toward justice.” This can be a giant step forward in the march toward justice in America. pic.twitter.com/IUjvgxZfaT — President Biden (@POTUS) April 21, 2021 Biden and Harris both urged the U.S. Senate to approve the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act that would ban chokeholds and would end the limited legal immunity police officers have from being sued for actions in the line of duty. Harris said of the verdict, “Today, we breathe a sigh of relief. A measure of justice isn’t the same as equal justice. … We still must reform the system.” Today’s verdict brings us a step closer to making equal justice under law a reality. But the verdict will not heal pain that has existed for generations. It will not take away the pain felt by the Floyd family. That’s why we must recommit to fight for equal justice. — Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) April 21, 2021 In Geneva, United Nations human rights chief Michelle Bachelet on Wednesday said that "any other ...
CORONABUCKS: Now UK ‘Conservatives’ Want to Give All Young People £500
Two groups of liberal-progressive Tories are pressuring Boris Johnson to “follow President Biden’s lead” and give all young people £500 in coronavirus recovery funds, which would cost the taxpayer an estimated £2.8 billion. Last month, the U.S. Congress passed the Democrats’ $1.9 trillion coronavirus stimulus package, which contains the third round of $1,400 stimulus cheques. The One Nation Caucus and the Tory Reform Group have urged a similar “Covid relief payment” to young adults, calling them one of those “worse hit financially by the pandemic”. “The government should consider following President Biden’s lead and issue Covid relief payments for those worse [sic] affected by the pandemic. A £500 stimulus for every 18-24 year old in the UK, one of the age groups worst affected, would cost around £2.8 billion,” the groups suggested in the report published on Monday. If the government adopts the proposals, it would add to Britain’s already-spiralling debt. The UK’s debt broke the £2 trillion mark for the first time in August, with the country’s debt worth more than its GDP, at 100.5 per cent, for the first time since 1961. The Institute for Fiscal Studies warned months later that the government’s spending spree during the pandemic, including tens of billions in the furlough scheme, could result in massive tax hikes in the future. Government borrowing between April and December 2020 was £271 billion, boosted by the near-recording-breaking £34 billion in December alone. February saw the burden on the taxpayer hit a 70-year high. While in March, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak said that the cost of coronavirus support for business over two years will have hit £407 billion, funded by £355 billion in borrowing, admitting that years of taxes are on the way to pay for it. UK Govt Promises More Covid Giveaways, But Will Pay With Years of Tax Rises https://t.co/a5SdUPd5kq — Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) March 3, 2021 ...
Stimulus Check Latest: Who Is Getting A Plus-Up Payment?
DALLAS ( CBSDFW.COM ) – While the last of the stimulus checks arrive in the mail, many Americans are receiving extra money. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is also sending out catch-up payments, otherwise known as “plus-up” payments, to those whose third payment was less than they are eligible for. These plus-up payments do not apply to the first two rounds of stimulus. The IRS used the latest tax return information on file to figure out the amount of the third stimulus check. For people who had not yet completed their 2020 taxes, that was still their 2019 tax return. Many people had a much lower income in 2020, given the pandemic shutdowns and record unemployment. Others welcomed a new member to the family. READ MORE: Stimulus Check Latest: Is A Fourth Relief Payment Coming? In some cases, the lower income or the additional dependent made them eligible for a bigger stimulus check. These plus-up payments are the difference between what people initially received and what they are entitled to. “The most important thing people can do to make sure they receive their proper stimulus amount would be to go ahead and file a 2020 tax return,” said Bob Probasco, tax expert with the Texas A&M University Law School. “The IRS will catch up to these returns and make corrections to the stimulus payments.” Why Did I Possibly Receive The Wrong Amount? The $1,400 number that’s drawn so much attention wasn’t necessarily what people received in their most recent stimulus check. The actual amount could vary based on income restrictions, tax-filing date and number of dependents. The American Rescue Plan phased out checks more quickly than the previous two stimulus packages. So while the income threshold remained at $75,000 ($150,000), those earning $80,000 ($160,000) or more received nothing. The phase out progressed at a constant rate, meaning people received $.28 less for every $1 they earned over the limit. Put another way, that meant those with an Adjusted ...
