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- June 09, 2020 at 12:51AM
Democrats roll out details of police reform bill in Congress
Click on this headline to read the full story at Jamie Dupree - Washington Insider
With fresh momentum for change in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd which touched off days of violence and protests around the nation, House and Senate Democrats on Monday unveiled a sweeping new police reform proposal, designed to promote more accountability for officers using unnecessary violence. 'We now have over 200 co-sponsors,' said Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA), the driving force behind the legislation. 'Never again should the world be subjected to witnessing what what we saw on the streets in Minneapolis,' Bass told a Capitol Hill news conference. 'The slow murder of an individual by a uniformed police officer.' 'We're here because black Americans want to stop being killed,' said Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA). 'This specifically is a bill about accountability and consequence.' 'Unless there's accountability, there will never be change,' said Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY). 'Unless there's change, brutality will continue.' The 134 page bill states that the goal of the legislation is to 'hold law enforcement accountable for misconduct in court, improve transparency through data collection, and reform police training and policies.' Among the major changes: + Changing the doctrine of 'qualified immunity' for police officers, allowing people to sue for damages if officers are found to have violated their constitutional rights. + Make it easier to prosecute law enforcement officers for misconduct by changing the definition from 'willful' to acting 'knowingly' or 'with reckless disregard.' + Provide money to state attorneys general to help them pay for independent investigations of possible police brutality, and conduct broader 'pattern and practice' investigations of police departments. + Set up a National Police Misconduct Registry, making it more difficult for officers to simply switch over to another jurisdiction without knowledge of previous brutality issues. + Require states to report data on use force incidents, whether by an officer against a civilian, or the use of force against a law enforcement officer. + Efforts to improve police training and end racial profiling. + Ban 'No-Knock' warrants in drug cases at the federal level. + Ban the use of police choke holds and placing a knee on the neck of a suspect being detained by police (the way George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis). + Limit the transfer of military equipment to state and local law enforcement. More on the details of the bill can be found in this release from the House Judiciary Committee.
(Feed generated with FetchRSS) - June 09, 2020 at 12:51AM Democrats roll out details of police reform bill in Congress Click on this headline to read the full story at Jamie Dupree - Washington Insider
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A day after thousands of demonstrators in the nation's capital expressed support for George Floyd, the man killed by police in Minneapolis whose death touched off riots and protests nationwide, Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) became the first GOP lawmaker to join in outward support for the Black Lives Matter movement, as he marched on Sunday in Washington, D.C. 'Black Lives Matter,' Romney stated simply, as he tweeted out a selfie showing him wearing a mask, and marching with others in the nation's capital. Romney marched to the White House with a group of evangelical Christians, as peaceful demonstrations continued in Washington for yet another day. 'We need many voices against racism and against brutality. We need to stand up and say that Black lives matter,' Romney told reporters. On Saturday, Romney had tweeted out a picture of his father George Romney, marching in civil rights protests outside Detroit in the late 1960's. 'Force alone will not eliminate riots,” Romney quoted his father as saying at the time. “We must eliminate the problems from which they stem.' While some GOP lawmakers have expressed their support for efforts to end police brutality in the wake of George Floyd's death, Romney became the first Republican Senator to take part in any public protest. Through the weekend, President Trump continued to focus more on the issue of 'law and order' in the streets of America, skirting the issue of police brutality and questions of how police forces treat blacks and other minorities. “Donald Trump is the worst possible person to lead us through this moment,” said Joe Biden, who was slated to fly to Houston on Monday to meet with Floyd's family. Meanwhile in Congress, Democrats on Monday will unveil a police reform bill. The plan would make it easier to prosecute police accused of misconduct, change the 'qualified immunity' legal protections for police against lawsuits, and create a national registry to make it more difficult for officers to get a new job without a new employer knowing about past accusations.
(Feed generated with FetchRSS) - June 07, 2020 at 11:51PM Romney joins DC marchers to argue 'Black Lives Matter' Click on this headline to read the full story at Jamie Dupree - Washington Insider
Instead of an unemployment rate topping 20 percent as had been held out as a possibility by economic experts and senior Trump Administration officials, the latest jobs report shows the U.S. economy bouncing back a little, as states loosened restrictions from the Coronavirus, with the jobless rate dropping to 13.3 percent. 'These improvements in the labor market reflected a limited resumption of economic activity that had been curtailed in March and April due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and efforts to contain it,' the report stated. At the White House, President Trump reveled in the job gains. 'It’s a stupendous number. It’s joyous, let’s call it like it is,' the President wrote on Twitter. 'The Market was right. It’s stunning!' Jobs data in May showed sharp job gains in construction, retail trade, leisure, education, and health care, as the unemployment rate retreated from a historic high of 14.7 percent in April. Republicans in Congress joined President Trump in hailing the new job figures. 'We’ve still got a ways to go but the Great American Comeback is underway!' said Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA). 'Not only are we going to bounce back, in many ways it may be even better than before,' said Rep. Rick Crawford (R-AR). 'America is on a HUGE comeback in record time,' said Rep. Roger Marshall (R-KS). 'The Great American Comeback is starting!' said House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy. The jobs report though also showed the level of upheaval within the job market, as over 6 million more Americans are working part-time right now, even though they would rather have a full-time job.
(Feed generated with FetchRSS) - June 05, 2020 at 09:51PM Jobless rate drops to 13.3 percent in stronger than expected May Click on this headline to read the full story at Jamie Dupree - Washington Insider
Even as the number of people demonstrating over the police killing of George Floyd dwindled to a small group on Thursday afternoon in the nation's capital, workers were busy installing new high fencing around the park area known as the Ellipse just to the south of the White House, significantly expanding the security zone for President Donald Trump. 'It's a sad commentary that the (White) House and its inhabitants have to be walled off,' said Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser. 'We should want the White House to be opened up,' the Mayor told reporters. Critics immediately compared the new fencing to the President's push to build a wall along the border with Mexico. 'And American taxpayers, not Mexico, will again be sent the bill,' said Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT). By Thursday afternoon, workers had run the new fencing all the way down to, and along Constitution Avenue, which crosses in between the White House and the Washington Monument. The move to close off the Ellipse - an over 80 acre park which often hosts families, tourists, joggers, and picknickers - was reminiscent of other moves by the federal government to increase security, without the consent of the Washington, D.C. government. For example, after the Oklahoma City bombing, Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House was closed to traffic. Roads were also closed to through traffic on Capitol Hill near House and Senate office buildings, and security bollards were placed in front of a number of federal buildings, museums, and monuments. Because the federal government controls many of those areas, they are not under the direct jurisdiction of the District of Columbia. 'I'm also concerned that some of the hardening that they are doing may be not just temporary,' the Mayor said of the new security fencing. Extra fencing has already been put in place to the north of the White House, to wall off Lafayette Square from demonstrators. Here's a satellite map of the area around the White House to give you a better idea of the changes which are being made: The red area at the top is Lafayette Square. This is normally open to the public, but now a tall fence at the northern end along H Street does not allow anyone into the park. The yellow area is the normal White House security perimeter. The Old Executive Office Building is on the left, and the Treasury Department is on the right. The orange area at the bottom is how the perimeter is being extended with new fencing to add in the Ellipse, which is normally open to the public. The road at the bottom of the graphic is Constitution Avenue.
(Feed generated with FetchRSS) - June 04, 2020 at 08:51PM New fencing dramatically expands White House security zone Click on this headline to read the full story at Jamie Dupree - Washington Insider
Worried by photos of large gatherings of people which could lead to a spike in Coronavirus cases, the head of the Centers for Disease Control used testimony before Congress Thursday to plead with Americans to wear masks in public and continue to engage in social distancing measures to stop the spread of the virus. 'We're very concerned that our public health message is not resonating,' Redfield told a hearing of the House Appropriations Committee. Redfield told of his own personal experience in seeing how mask use changes just by driving up the road 45 minutes. 'In the Baltimore area, I don't see anybody without a mask,' Redfield told lawmakers. 'But a lot of times when I walk through Washington, D.C., I see a lot of people without a mask. At the hearing, Redfield saw first hand some of the opposition to the idea of wearing masks, in an exchange with Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD). 'There is now a cult of masks,' said Harris, a physician who has been highly critical of what he says has been an overbearing government response to the Coronavirus outbreak. 'I’m afraid to get a picture taken of me without a mask somewhere, because someone will say how can you possibly, you’re a doctor, how can you not wear a mask?' Harris told Redfield. But the CDC Director said a combination of masks - and continued social distancing - would be needed not only this summer, but later this year as well. 'Because we're going to need them to be our major defense again, in October, November, and December,' Redfield said. Asked about the massive wave of protests and large gatherings in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd, Redfield said he would strongly recommend that anyone joining those protests wear some type of face covering as well.
(Feed generated with FetchRSS) - June 04, 2020 at 08:51PM CDC chief urges Americans to be vigilant on Coronavirus Click on this headline to read the full story at Jamie Dupree - Washington Insider
The Pentagon on Wednesday rolled back and forth on using active duty soldiers on the streets of Washington, D.C. to quell riots over police brutality like a ship in heavy seas, as the Defense Secretary first ordered military units brought to the nation's capital to return to their bases in other states, and then reversed the move a few hours later. The day began with Secretary of Defense Mark Esper seemingly carving out some space between the Pentagon and the White House. 'I do not support invoking the Insurrection Act,' Esper said at a Pentagon news conference, arguing the use of active duty units to fight riots should only be done as the last option. “It should only be used as a matter of last resort, and only in the most urgent and dire of situations,” Esper said. But the Pentagon message of the day was just starting what would be a political roller coaster ride. Early in the afternoon, Esper was ordering military units brought to Washington this week to go back to their bases, seemingly not needed as clashes between protesters and security forces around the White House had dissipated. But after less than supportive public words from the White House Press Secretary, Esper reversed course, and kept those units in the nation's capital area. The Associated Press quickly reported that Esper had changed his orders after a White House meeting with President Trump. In the area around the White House blocked off by a combination of soldiers, police, and unidentified federal paramilitary security forces, there were clear signs of the U.S. military, with troop transport trucks being used to block streets north of the White House. It was not clear how long the area around Lafayette Square would be cordoned off, as a large number of demonstrators and others flocked to the area on Wednesday. 'Eight minutes, 46 seconds!' protesters chanted, referencing the amount of time that a Minneapolis police officer kneeled on the head and neck of George Floyd, killing him last week. At various times around Washington - from the U.S. Capitol to streets near the White House - demonstrators chanted, 'I can't breathe,' the last words of Floyd.
(Feed generated with FetchRSS) - June 04, 2020 at 08:51PM Mixed message from Pentagon on White House security forces Click on this headline to read the full story at Jamie Dupree - Washington Insider
With President Donald Trump demanding answers on what he's coined 'Obamagate,' the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday began hearings into the genesis of the Russia investigation, as the first witness told Senators he had seen no evidence of wrongdoing by former President Barack Obama. 'Now we're going to look at the Mueller investigation,' said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) as he opened the hearings. 'And we're going to look hard.' 'We're going to get to the bottom of this,' Graham declared. The first witness was former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who defended his decision to name former FBI Director Robert Mueller to take charge of the Russia probe, which was focusing on Russian interference in the 2016 elections. 'Russians influenced crimes in seeking to influence the election,' Rosenstein said. 'And Americans did not conspire with them.' Asked at one point about 'Obamagate' - the President's catch-all moniker for the Russia investigation, Rosenstein said he had not seen any evidence of wrongdoing by the former President. 'I have not,' Rosenstein told Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE), though Rosenstein made clear he was uncomfortable with reports of FBI errors uncovered by an internal watchdog at the Justice Department. 'I do not consider the investigation to be corrupt, but I certainly understand the President's frustration, given the outcome,' Rosenstein said at another point. GOP Senators basically turned Rosenstein into a pinata in the witness chair, using their questioning time to denounce the investigation, raising questions about errors in the process of obtaining a FISA warrant on one-time Trump foreign policy adviser Carter Page, and demanding to know why Rosenstein wasn't to blame. 'I'm accountable,' Rosenstein said during a verbal tug of war with Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO). Democrats did all they could to downplay the hearing, saying it was just a political effort by the GOP, as Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) compared it to watching old baseball games on TV during the current Coronavirus pandemic.
(Feed generated with FetchRSS) - June 03, 2020 at 07:51PM Rosenstein plays piñata as GOP starts probe of Russia investigation Click on this headline to read the full story at Jamie Dupree - Washington Insider
Joining widespread condemnation from Democrats, former Vice President Joe Biden blasted President Donald Trump on Tuesday for having police clear demonstrators from Lafayette Park in front of the White House on Monday, so the President could walk to a nearby church where he was photographed holding a Bible. 'The President held up the Bible at St. John's Church yesterday,' Biden said in a speech in Philadelphia. 'I just wish he opened it once in a while instead of brandishing it. If he opened it, he could have learned something.' 'In addition to the Bible, the President might want to open the Constitution once in a while,' Biden added. Biden began his speech by quoting the final words of George Floyd, the black man who was killed by a police officer in Minneapolis, who kneeled on Floyd's neck for over eight minutes. 'I can't breathe,' Biden began, as he said the nation was 'crying out for leadership.' 'That's why I'm running,' the former Vice President added. The likely Democratic Party nominee for President denounced violence in America's cities as a response to the Floyd killing, urging a conversation about the plight of minorities in America. 'There's no place for violence, no place for looting or destroying property or burning churches or destroying businesses,' Biden said. Biden's speech marked his first major campaign appearance since mid-March, when the arrival of the Coronavirus suddenly shut down the 2020 campaign. It was the third straight day that the Floyd story had drawn Biden out of his home in Delaware - where he had been sidelined by the virus outbreak. On Sunday, Biden visited the site of a protest in his home town of Wilmington and spoke with members of the black community. On Monday, Biden visited a local church, and met with black clergy from the area. 'These are difficult days for the country,' Biden said in a Monday live stream with mayors from Los Angeles, Chicago, and Atlanta, as Biden denounced the street violence around the nation. 'Violence that endangers lives, guts local businesses is no way forward,' Biden said, as he joined calls by Democrats for a more direct conversation on what led to the death of Floyd, at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer. 'What are the reforms, if any, within police departments that we should be focusing on,' Biden suggested to the mayors.
(Feed generated with FetchRSS) - June 02, 2020 at 06:55PM Biden blasts Trump over clearing protesters for church photo Click on this headline to read the full story at Jamie Dupree - Washington Insider
Video of a cameraman being struck and manhandled by police outside the White House on Monday raised controversy on the other side of the globe Tuesday, as the government of Australia called for answers into why U.S. police clearing a park for President Donald Trump attacked an Australian television news crew without provocation. The incident occurred as police suddenly pushed hundreds of demonstrators out of Lafayette Park across from the White House, ultimately allowing President Trump to walk across the park to the site of a church damaged by street violence in recent days. Reporter Amelia Brace from the Australian 'Sunrise' news show was broadcasting live from Lafayette Park, just at the moment when police suddenly charged into a crowd of protesters. In the surge by riot police, they used Brace and her cameraman Timothy Brace were struck multiple times - all of it captured live for Australian TV viewers. The police sweep came as President Trump was addressing reporters in the White House Rose Garden, as riot police used tear gas, flash bang explosions, and more to clear Lafayette Park. A few minutes later, President Trump emerged from the White House and marched over to St. John's Church, where he stood for photos while holding a Bible. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison called the incident 'troubling' - he had spoken with President Trump by phone on Monday, but did not know of the situation during their conversation. The Australian opposition leader labeled the treatment of the Aussie news crew a 'completely unacceptable assault.'
(Feed generated with FetchRSS) - June 02, 2020 at 06:55PM Australia demands answers after news crew roughed up by U.S. police Click on this headline to read the full story at Jamie Dupree - Washington Insider
With the sound of tear gas and flash bang explosions in the background, President Donald Trump on Monday evening said he would use 'all available federal civilian and military resources' to stop riots which have hit a number of cities around the nation in recent days, but offered no plan to address the issue of police brutality which spurred the unrest. 'I am your President of law and order,' President Trump declared in the White House Rose Garden, echoing a theme associated with the 1968 campaign of Richard Nixon, during a time of year marked by assassinations and bloody street protests, including riots in the nation's capital. 'I am dispatching thousands and thousands of heavily armed soldiers,' the President said, describing his efforts to clear the streets of protesters who have caused damage on the streets around the White House. The President then marched over to a nearby church across Lafayette Park, which had been damaged by demonstrators. The President's declaration came as hundreds of National Guard troops were driven into the White House complex during the afternoon, as police moved to enforce a new 7 pm curfew in the city. Even before the curfew began, security forces used pepper balls, tear gas, and flash bang grenades to move protestors even further away from the White House. Democrats denounced the President's declaration. “The fascist speech Donald Trump just delivered verged on a declaration of war against American citizens,” said Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR). “These are not the words of a President,” said Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA). “They are the words of a dictator.” “Unleashing state violence on American protesters to create political theater for a photo op isn’t law and order, it’s a betrayal of everything our country stands for,” said Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA). 'The military should not be used against the American people,' said Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ).
(Feed generated with FetchRSS) - June 02, 2020 at 06:55PM Trump vows to end street violence with 'heavily armed' troops Click on this headline to read the full story at Jamie Dupree - Washington Insider |
Jamie DupreeJamie Dupree is the Washington Bureau Chief for Cox Communications. He writes and produces radio reports with the aid of digital reconstructions of the voice he lost in 2012.. Archives
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