Minneapolis officers involved in death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man fired

Four Minneapolis police officers were fired on Tuesday after video emerged showing an officer pinning his knee against the neck of an unarmed black man who died following the arrest.

Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo announced during a press conference that the officers involved in the arrest were now “former employees," CBS Minnesota reported. The officers have not been named.

The decision came amid escalating outrage over footage showing a police officer pinning a black man to the pavement as he yelled “I cannot breathe!"

The man, identified as George Floyd by his family's attorney, died of a "medical incident" after being detained by officers, the Minneapolis Police Department said Monday.

The department said earlier Tuesday that the FBI would take part in its investigation into the incident, as calls for accountability mounted.

[SOURCE: THE HILL]

Justice Department launching investigation into Ahmaud Arbery's death as a hate crime

The U.S. Department of Justice is launching an investigation into the shooting death of an unarmed black man in Georgia as a hate crime, according to attorneys for the victim's family. Ahmaud Arbery, 25, was shot and killed by two white men while jogging in his neighborhood on February 23. Three arrests were made this month after video surfaced of the violent encounter.

Attorneys for Arbery's family said the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia Bobby Christine and his office will look into why Glynn County and the state of Georgia took more than two months to make an arrest and whether the region has historically violated the rights of its citizens. The U.S. Attorney said he plans to file criminal and civil charges.

Many have alleged Arbery was targeted because of his race, but Georgia is one of four states with no hate crime statutes, which generally allow for harsher sentencing for perpetrators of crimes ruled by a court to be bias-motivated.

While states are the primary prosecutors of hate crimes, the federal government also has the authority to bring charges under the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. The Department of Justice can act as a "backstop" to prosecute hate crimes in states without the statutes or where state laws don't cover the crime.

The Department of Justice has previously said it is reviewing the Arbery case to determine whether federal hate crime charges are appropriate. It was also weighing a request by the Attorney General of Georgia to investigate the conduct of the first two district attorneys assigned to the case. They recused themselves amid questions over their links to Gregory McMichael, a former law enforcement officer, and handling of the case.

[SOURCE: CBS NEWS]

Video shows Minneapolis police officer with knee on neck of black man who later died

05/26/2020 UPDATE. Click here to read: Minneapolis officers involved in death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man fired

Disturbing video of George Floyd, a black man accused of forgery begging a Minneapolis Police officer to take his knee off his neck and let him breathe circulated online Monday night. The man was later declared dead at a nearby hospital. The man's death is now the subject of a state and federal investigation.

BREAKING: A video shows a Minneapolis police officer pinning down a black man by the neck with his knee for several minutes as the man screams: "I can't breathe."pic.twitter.com/V9K3IU36ap

— Mukhtar M. Ibrahim (@mukhtaryare) May 26, 2020

Rep. Val Demings 'concerned' over theme park openings in Florida amid Covid-19 pandemic

Rep. Val Demings, a Florida Democrat whose district includes Orlando, said Sunday she is “concerned” about theme parks reopening amid the coronavirus pandemic.

CNN’s Dana Bash asked Demings if she is comfortable with theme parks reopening, noting that her district “depends heavily on these parks for tourism and jobs.”

“I do believe that the theme parks have been very strategic, methodical, very thoughtful in terms of coordinating with public health officials and local officials to make sure that they are doing this right,” she said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

Demings added that the parks are “religiously practicing the CDC guidelines within those areas that have opened.”

“I think they're being smart about it. But let me say this. I am concerned, because we know that this virus is not yet under control, and it will not be until we have a vaccine. And we don't know when that will be, regardless of some of the reports that we hear coming out of the White House,” she said. “But we just need to be vigilant and do what we need to do to keep people safe.”

[SOURCE: THE HILL]

HBCU's Face New Challenges Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

Higher education institutions in the U.S. have experienced drastic changes amid the COVID-19 pandemic. While many colleges work to overcome hurdles, historically black colleges and universities face challenges of their own.