AG Merrick Garland Justice Department Considering Changing Policies On Obtaining Lawmakers Records
by Derek Major

June 14, 2021

AG Merrick Garland Justice Department Considering Changing Policies On Obtaining Lawmakers Records

Reuters – Attorney General Merrick Garland said on Monday the U.S. Justice Department is considering changing its policies for obtaining records from the legislative branch after revelations that former President Donald Trump’s administration had secretly gotten the communications records of some members of Congress.

Garland, the top U.S. law enforcement official, said in a statement he has instructed Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco “to evaluate and strengthen the department’s existing policies and procedures for obtaining records of the Legislative branch.”

House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, both Democrats, on Sunday vowed to investigate the “rogue” actions of the Justice Department under Trump including its move to seize the communications records of Democratic lawmakers.

Those reviews will run parallel with an investigation by the department’s own internal watchdog – Inspector General Michael Horowitz – into its moves during the Trump administration to subpoena phone records of Democratic House members Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell as part of a probe into leaks of classified information. Schiff and Swalwell both were critics of Trump.

Horowitz’s office said on Friday it was launching a review of the department’s use of subpoenas to obtain the communications records of lawmakers and journalists, including whether “improper considerations” drove those decisions.

Garland in his statement said that if action related to Horowitz’s investigation “is warranted, I will not hesitate to move swiftly.”

The Justice Department under former attorneys general William Barr and Jeff Sessions was regularly accused of putting Trump’s personal and political interests ahead of the law.

Democrats on Friday demanded that Sessions and Barr testify about the subpoenas. White House Communications Director Kate Bedingfield on Friday criticized the Trump administration’s actions as “appalling.”

The New York Times on Thursday reported that the Trump-era Justice Department subpoenaed Apple Inc for data on Schiff and Swalwell. Apple also told Donald McGahn, who served as White House counsel under Trump, that the Justice Department had subpoenaed information about him in early 2018 and barred the company from notifying him of the request, the Times reported on Sunday.

The head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division is expected to leave his post by the end of next week, the Times reported on Monday. The departure of John Demers, a holdover from Trump’s administration, had been arranged months ago, the Times reported.

(Reporting by Lisa Lambert and Jan Wolfe; Editing by Doina Chiacu and Will Dunham)

Alton Sterling’s Family Accepted $4.5 Million Settlement Last Month
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

June 14, 2021

Alton Sterling’s Family Accepted $4.5 Million Settlement Last Month

Five years after the fatal police shooting of Alton Sterling, it’s been revealed that his family quietly accepted a $4.5 million settlement last month.

Sterling was killed during a confrontation with two Baton Rouge police officers in July 2016, WBRZ reports. His death ignited a series of Black Lives Matter protests and even more when the bodycam footage was released nearly two years later, Vox reports.

The officer who shot Sterling lost his job while another officer was suspended. But no charges were filed against either of the two involved with Sterling’s death.

Now it’s been revealed that in mid-May, the Sterling family dismissed their wrongful death lawsuit after accepting a $4.5 million settlement offer from the city-parish government. They accepted the settlement three months after the East Baton Rouge Metro Council approved the payout, NPR reports.

Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome says the settlement “marks a milestone in this traumatic chapter of our community’s history.”

“As this chapter closes, we must remember that the work continues,” he said. “This settlement is an important step for our community. As we move forward, we can continue to focus on priorities within our community, and re-build a stronger foundation for Baton Rouge’s future. As a community, we must work together to implement changes in policy and in our community to ensure that no other families in Baton Rouge will endure this loss, trauma, or heartbreak.”

Attorneys for the Sterling family released a statement confirming their acceptance of the settlement and dropping the wrongful death lawsuit.

“This settlement, which was reached through hard work and collaboration between attorneys for Mr. Sterling’s family and the Baton Rouge City Council, will allow the city to heal and provide a pathway for Mr. Sterling’s children to be provided for financially,” the statement read. “Additionally, we are grateful for the significant policy changes that have been and will be implemented by the city of Baton Rouge and the Baton Rouge Police Department following Mr. Sterling’s death.”

U.S. To Expand Work Permits For Immigrants Who Are Victims Of Crime
by Derek Major

June 14, 2021

U.S. To Expand Work Permits For Immigrants Who Are Victims Of Crime

Reuters – A new U.S. immigration policy announced on Monday will expand access to work permits and deportation relief to some immigrants who are crime victims while their visa cases are pending.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will create a process that could allow tens of thousands of applicants for U visas to receive work permits if their claims are deemed to be made in good faith and without the intention of defrauding the immigration system, the agency said.

Reuters first reported the news earlier on Monday.

Democratic President Joe Biden has pledged to make the U.S. immigration system more humane, and has reversed many of the restrictionist policies of Republican former President Donald Trump. Under Trump, U.S. immigration authorities made it easier to deport U visa applicants, drawing opposition from advocates for immigrants.

The United States offers 10,000 U visas annually to immigrants who are victims of certain crimes and who aid law enforcement investigations or prosecutions. The visas provide access to a work permit and the ability to apply for permanent residence after three years, but high demand means applicants currently wait at least five years until they can receive work authorization, according to USCIS.

To qualify for a visa, applicants must be victims of domestic violence, trafficking or other serious crimes. Certain family members of approved applicants also can request visas.

The number of U visa applicants who will qualify for work permits under the new policy remains unclear.

USCIS is currently considering nearly 269,000 U visa applicants, according to agency data current to December. However, not all of those applicants are in the United States, a USCIS spokesperson told Reuters.

In a statement, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the move would both help victims and promote public safety.

“These are individuals who have come forward to help law enforcement keep us all safe, but who are in need of a measure of protection for themselves, as well,” he said.

(Reporting by Ted Hesson in Washington; Editing by Kristina Cooke and Jonathan Oatis)

Four Ocean City, MD, Police Officers Assault Black Teenager For Allegedly Vaping
by Christian Spencer

June 14, 2021

Four Ocean City, MD, Police Officers Assault Black Teenager For Allegedly Vaping

A Saturday night incident involving Ocean City, MD, police officers arresting four teenagers over a vaping dispute has gone viral, prompting some to call on state officials to investigate the matter.

In a footage caught on video, a white officer kneed a teenager five times while he was restrained on the ground by two officers as another officer watched. The action took place on Ocean City’s famed Boardwalk.

Related stories: CALIFORNIA FAMILY FILES FEDERAL LAWSUIT AGAINST POLICE OFFICERS WHO BEAT BLACK TEENAGER AT TRAFFIC STOP

The video in question has officers demanding the Black suspect to surrender his hands. When the suspect refused to comply because he did not understand what was going on, things got brutal between him and the four officers when they claim he was resisting arrest around 8:30 p.m.

The police first spotted a group of Black friends with one man vaping on the boardwalk, a state violation punishable by a fine up to $500.

It is more than likely the man was unaware he was doing anything wrong. The friends are from Harrisburg, PA.

According to officials, police gave the young man, 19-year-old Brian Everett Anderson, a warning. When the same officers encountered Anderson vaping, the teen reportedly did not hand over his identification and was said to have acted “disorderly.”

Another video captured by a bystander shows the teenager with his hands up and reaching into his backpack when suddenly a Taser was used on him.

It was the Taser that rendered Anderson to the ground, making it all the more questionable why police officers held him down in an aggressive nature as seen on the video.

The social media clip went viral. President of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund Sherrilyn Ifill also shared the video, calling for Maryland Attorney General Brian Fosh and Rep. Andy Haris to investigate.

The four teenagers arrested were Anderson, 19; Kamere Day, 19; Jahtique Joseph John Lewis, 18; and Khalil Dwayne Warren, 19.

Day was taken into custody for cursing out the police, which in some states is considered disorderly conduct. Lewis reportedly used his bicycle to assault the officers arresting Anderson and Day, and Warren was apparently trespassing on private property, but it is not clear.

The Ocean City Police Department said it will be reviewing the incident, tweeting on Sunday, “OCPD was on foot patrol in the area of 12th St & the Boardwalk, when they observed a large group vaping on the Boardwalk. Four individuals were placed under arrest during this incident. We are aware of the social media videos circulating regarding this incident.”

The names of the officers were not released.

Black Police Officer Suing Trump Recalls Being Called A ‘Ni**er’ And ‘Traitor’ During Capitol Riot
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

June 14, 2021

Black Police Officer Suing Trump Recalls Being Called A ‘Ni**er’ And ‘Traitor’ During Capitol Riot

A Black police officer who responded to the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, is speaking out about his experience amid his lawsuit against Donald Trump.

James Blassingame has worked with the U.S. Capitol Police for 17 years and says he had never been called the n-word until a flood of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol earlier this year. “That streak ended on January 6,” he revealed on PBS NewsHour, MediaIte reported.

“I was called a n****r. I was called a traitor. I was called various epithets,” he said.

He also claims he never felt the need to draw his weapon in his 17 years on the force, until January 6, 2021.

“I was like, ‘OK, this is it,'” he recalled. “And the only reason why I didn’t do it, was because the mentality was, this is a four-alarm blaze. And if I pull my gun out and start shooting, I’m throwing kerosene on it. Maybe there’s a chance I survive if I don’t pull my weapon, but, if I do, I’m probably not going to make it out of here alive. You don’t have enough bullets.”

After he saw clips of Republican politicians downplaying the events from the day saying the shocking footage looked more like a tourist visit, Blassingame was aghast.

“I mean, it’s deplorable to say—as bad as it looks on film, believe me, it was much worse,” he said. “They can stitch together as much footage as they want to, but I’m telling you, and anybody that was in that scrum will tell you, it was much worse in person than anything you’re ever going to see on film.”

He also blasted the Republicans in Congress who he has worked to protect for the last two decades.

“For the narrative to be modified or changed, it’s disheartening, especially–we go to work every day and we have to protect members of Congress,” Blassingame said. “And for them to come and say, ‘Thank you for your service,’ and ‘Appreciate what you do,’ but you don’t, because this is very simple, just having a commission to find out what happened, so this doesn’t happen again.”

The veteran officer warned about the “very real threat” the insurrectionists pose moving forward. He and another officer are suing Trump for the harm that occurred during the riot,” the New York Times reported.

“If the most powerful human being on the planet is not held accountable, can do whatever they want to do, what does that say about our democracy as a whole?” he said.

by Andrea Blackstone

June 14, 2021

‘The Man Cave’ Men-only Nail Salon Opened in Spartanburg to Promote Male Self-care

Men in Spartanburg, S.C., now have their own space to luxuriate and indulge at a nail salon called, The Man Cave, exclusively meant to cater to their self-care needs.

“I came up with the idea after doing my fiancé’s feet. He enjoyed getting pedicures and massages and he suggested that I go to nail school. I enrolled and realized that I really liked doing feet,” owner Shana Soberanis told WSPA.

Once the idea initially percolated in her mind, Soberanis’ said her journey began. She started in a private setting, but it it was only the beginning of something bigger.

Soberanis’ said the clientele who have come for her pampering services at her 2099 S Pine St. location,  ranged from lawyers and blue-collar workers to men who have diabetes.

 

“I saw a need for nail care for men. They’re an underserved population when it comes to nail care. For some reason, men sometimes believe that it’s kind of emasculating and I wanted to dispel that myth. I wanted them to know that it’s OK; it’s a part of hygiene and wellness care,” Soberanis also told the outlet.

The Man Cave’s website mentions that services include foot baths, pedicures, hand soaks, nail trimming and filing, cuticle removal, hot towel compression, hand, leg and arm massages for men age 13 and over.

In an essay for Newsweek, Soberanis wrote that she previously was laid off while working in software support. After turning 40, and being unable to secure a new job, she nearly lost her home. She landed a contract job, then opted to go to nail school.

“But in March 2020, my sister died out of the blue. She was 42 and had a heart attack. Myself, my two kids and her kids found her,” Soberanis added. “My intentions to attend nail school had also been halted because of the COVID-19 pandemic and then in August myself and my whole family contracted COVID-19. On September 8, my mom died in hospital from COVID, without any of us around her.”

She helped to distract herself from difficult life events by attending nail school full time from October 2020 to January 2021. Then, Soberanis got busy writing a business plan for The Man Cave Nailcare for Gentlemen. Today, the business owner who found her niche serves men who are in need of a bit of pampering in a way most have never experienced.

 

Asian Man Who Shot 6-Year-Old Black Boy Back in Custody After Public Outcry
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

June 14, 2021

Asian Man Who Shot 6-Year-Old Black Boy Back in Custody After Public Outcry

Following backlash from the public, Ryan Le-Nguyen is back in police custody after shooting a 6-year-old Black boy who was playing outside.

Many were upset to learn that Le-Nguyen had been released from jail after being given a $10,000 bail for shooting a 6-year-old in Ypsilanti Township, Michigan, USA Today reports. The shooting took place on Sunday, June 6, and Le-Nguyen was a free man shortly after. However, a new $100,000 cash bond was set.

He shot the child following an altercation with the boy, a 9-year-old, and a 14-year-old. Le-Nguyen was reportedly upset about the noise outside of his home. Instead of closing his windows or talking to their parents, Le-Nguyen responded by firing shots outside his home.

The shooting was captured on a nearby Ring video where the children can be seen running down a sidewalk. Police found the boy suffering from a non-life-threatening gunshot wound. He was taken to the hospital for treatment and was later released.

The community was outraged that Le-Nguyen was able to be released and given such a low bail. Washtenaw County officials took to Facebook to explain how the shooter initially went free, MLive reports.

“Over the last several days, we have fielded numerous questions regarding the recent shooting of a 6-year-old child in our community,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “Specifically, people are asking how we allowed the person arrested to go free.”

“In Michigan, the setting of bond is a prosecutorial process and a judicial decision. Police agencies do not have authority to set bond,” the statement continued. “In this particular case, staff of the Washtenaw County Sheriffs Office investigated, apprehended the suspect, and swore before a magistrate to the facts of the case. Our staff arrested the suspect and took him off the streets because we believed he was responsible for the crimes committed and he was a threat to community.”

After the prosecutor’s office filed a motion to modify Le-Nguyen’s bond, a judge approved the modification, and the sheriff’s office took the suspect back into custody.

Second Teenager Charged in Shooting of British Black Lives Matter Activist Sasha Johnson
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

June 14, 2021

Second Teenager Charged in Shooting of British Black Lives Matter Activist Sasha Johnson

It’s been two weeks since five people were arrested in connection with the shooting of activist Sasha Johnson in London. Following the arrests, reports revealed that three of the five suspects were teenagers, and all were facing weapons and drug charges.

On Friday, 18-year-old Devante Brown was charged with conspiracy to murder over the shooting of Johnson, the Metropolitan police said. He was scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on Saturday, The Guardian reports.

Johnson remains in critical condition after being shot in the head while attending a party in South London where four men entered and started firing shots. The 27-year-old mother of two was the only person critically wounded by the violence.

The young activist rose to prominence during the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020. She is also a leader within the UK’s Taking the Initiative Party (TTIP), an organization she helped found that has been credited as “Britain’s first Black-led political party.”

Johnson “remains in a critical condition in hospital,” police said. She was shot in the early hours of the morning on May 26 after four men “entered the garden of the property and discharged a firearm,” CNN reports. Eighteen-year-old Cameron Deriggs was charged with conspiracy to murder late last month. Both Brown and Deriggs remain in police custody.

At the time of the arrests, one teenager was charged with possession of an offensive weapon and possession with the intent to supply class A drugs. Three additional men–ages 18, 19, and 28–were arrested and charged with suspicion of affray (a group fight) and possession with intent to supply class B drugs. A fifth man, age 25, was arrested on suspicion of affray and failing to stop for police.

At the time of the shooting, many wondered if it was a targeted attack. However, police found no evidence to support that the attack was targeted and moved swiftly in finding the suspects.

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

June 14, 2021

After the Lopsided Lamar Odom-Aaron Carter Boxing Match, Social Media Had a Lot to Say

In case you missed it, over the weekend there was a celebrity boxing match featuring former Los Angeles Laker and ex-husband to Khloe Kardashian, Lamar Odom, versus a very under-matched and much shorter opponent, singer Aaron Carter.

Even Stevie Wonder could see that the height difference between the 6-foot, 10-inch Odom and the 6-foot-tall Carter, wouldn’t make for a fair fight. It was a fight that probably shouldn’t have happened, especially if people were looking for it to be fair.

As expected, the mismatched bout resulted in the former basketball player knocking out the singer and social media users had a field day talking about the boxing debacle. Check out what some Twitter users had to say.

Black-owned Juice Bar in Minnesota Vandalized And Shut Down Days After Opening
by Andrea Blackstone

June 14, 2021

Black-owned Juice Bar in Minnesota Vandalized And Shut Down Days After Opening

Minnesota’s first Black-owned juice bar was broken into, vandalized, and forced to close just days after opening its doors to the public.

FOX 9 reported that Catiesha Pierson had to turn customers away from The Dripping Root just days after holding the store’s grand opening so she could clean up after the break-in.

“So excited to open for regular business hours starting on Thursday ! Come see me Thursday – Sunday 9-3 or until sold out 💧✨ – when you feel good you glow different #yearofthedrip,” Pierson shared on The Dripping Root’s Instagram on June 1.

The business owner quit her job to open The Dripping Root. Pierson previously created juices herself to encourage her son to increase eating fruits and vegetables, according to FOX 9. Pierson even turned to GoFundMe with the help of a woman named Andrea Witt, to raise money for the business.

“Lease signed in March and The Dripping Root is going to have a home in the Longfellow Neighborhood of Minneapolis. Hopeful to open the doors by July. However, COVID -19 struck and everything was put on hold. Kitchen equipment and the Juicer ready to be delivered. However, the system was overwhelmed by funding requests and she has enough money to get started, but NOT enough to finish. Please help her build in solidarity with those businesses just down the street, those businesses in every community who are having to rebuild. Black Lives Matter! The Dripping Root Juice Bar will be a place of PEACE, LOVE & TOGETHERNESS,” the GoFundMe message partially stated.

The campaign fundraiser also noted that Pierson is the single mother of a Black son who wanted to address health and wellness, in addition to promoting other ideals that are important to her. Pierson’s upbeat messages shifted, when her journey took a disappointing turn. The business which was meant to promote wellness, took a surprising hit.

“I’m not going to let something like that ruin my shine or happiness for the amazing thing that’s been built and surrounded by community,” Pierson told FOX 9.

Security cameras captured footage of the vandalism which involved two suspects who shattered the business’ front window. However, the break-in did not result in the thieves getting much from the establishment before police appeared. The juice bar reportedly operates on a cashless system.

According to the report, Pierson does not believe the incident is random.  After a barrage of community support, Pierson was able to reopen on Saturday.

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