World
5 Memphis Police Officers ‘All Responsible’ For Tyre Nichols’ Death
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Five Memphis police officers were charged Thursday with second-degree murder and other crimes in connection with the arrest and death of Tyre Nichols, a Black motorist who died three days after a traffic stop with the officers.
At a news conference, Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said that Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills, Jr., Emmitt Martin III, and Justin Smith had been charged with crimes. The fired officers, all of whom are Black, face second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct, and official oppression charges.
He stated that, while the fired officers played a different role in Nichols’ death, “they are all responsible.”
Mulroy said that a police video of the traffic stop, which Nichols’ family and lawyers say shows officers beating the 29-year-old father and FedEx worker badly for three minutes, will be made public on Friday.
Rodney Wells, Nichols’ stepfather, told The Associated Press by phone that he and Nichols’ mother, RowVaughn Wells, discussed the second-degree murder charges and are “fine with it.” They had pushed for charges of first-degree murder.
If The Police Were White, They Would Have Been Suspended
“There are other charges, so I’m fine with that,” he explained.
Wells, who called for peaceful protests earlier this week if the video is released, is also “ecstatic” that authorities have moved quickly in the case.
During the news conference, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Director David Rausch said he had seen the video and found it “absolutely appalling.”
“Let me be clear: What happened here does not reflect proper policing. This was incorrect. “This was heinous,” Rausch said.
According to court records, the five former officers were detained. Smith, Bean, and Haley’s attorneys are not listed in the records. Martin’s attorney, William Massey, confirmed that his client had surrendered. He and Mills’ attorney, Blake Ballin, said they planned to hold a news conference later Thursday to discuss the charges.
15-60 Years In Prison For The Cops Involved
Second-degree murder in Tennessee is punishable by 15 to 60 years in prison.
Memphis District Attorney: Witness interviews, then video release
mp and Antonio Romanucci, Nichols’ attorneys, issued a statement praising the charges.
“The news today from Memphis officials that these five officers will face criminal charges for their deadly and brutal actions gives us hope as we continue to push for justice for Tyre,” they wrote. “This young man died in a particularly disgusting way, which shows how much change and reform are needed to make sure this kind of violence doesn’t happen during low-risk situations like a traffic stop.”
Justice For No One
The Rev. Al Sharpton, who founded and ran the National Action Network and will deliver the eulogy at Nichols’ funeral next week, described the charges as a “necessary step in delivering justice” for Nichols.
“Putting a body camera on a cop is pointless if you’re not going to hold them accountable when the footage shows them relentlessly beating a man to death,” Sharpton said. “Firings are insufficient. Indictments and arrests are not the same as convictions. As we have previously, we will support this family until justice is served.”
The fired officers’ actions that night were described as “heinous, reckless, and inhumane” by the Memphis police chief, who urged residents of the predominantly Black city to protest peacefully when the video was released.
“This isn’t just a professional blunder. “This is a failure of basic humanity toward another individual,” Memphis Police Director Cerelyn “CJ,” Davis said in a video statement posted on social media late Wednesday.
Davis said that the five officers who were “directly responsible for Mr. Nichols’ physical abuse” were fired last week, but other officers are still being investigated for breaking department policy. She also said that the department’s specialized units would go through a “comprehensive and independent review,” but she didn’t say what that meant.
Police Department Is Still Investigating
Davis has promised that the police department will help find out what led to Nichols’ death on January 10 while state and federal investigations are still going on.
On Tuesday, Mulroy told The Associated Press that local and state investigators wanted to conduct as many interviews as possible before releasing the video. Some activists were disappointed because they expected the video to be released after Nichols’ family and lawyers saw it on Monday.
Crump stated that the video showed Nichols, a 29-year-old FedEx employee and father, being shocked, pepper-sprayed, and restrained after being pulled over for a traffic stop near his home. He was on his way home from a suburban park where he had photographed the sunset. The legal team says that police beat Nichols for three minutes in a “savage” way that reminded them of the famous beating of Los Angeles driver Rodney King by police in 1991.
Family members have accused the police of causing Nichols’ heart attack and kidney failure. Authorities have only stated that Nichols had a medical emergency.
Davis said she expects the community to react when the arrest video is made public.
“I expect our citizens to exercise their First Amendment right to protest, to demand actions and results, but we must also ensure the safety of our community,” she said. “None of this is a call to start fighting or destroying our community or its people.”
Incident Does Not Reflect Well On the Department
Davis stated that the actions of the fired officers do not reflect the good work that many Memphis police officers do every day, and she promised to take action to improve the agency.
“As a preventive measure, I want to make sure that a full and independent review of all of the Memphis Police Department’s specialized units is done. I also want my executive leadership to make sure that policies and procedures are followed when we meet with the people we swore to serve every day,” she said.
Haley, one of the officers, had previously been accused of using excessive force. While working for the Shelby County Division of Corrections, he was named a defendant in a federal civil rights lawsuit in 2016.
Cordarlrius Sledge was in jail in 2015 when Haley and another corrections officer accused him of flushing drugs, according to the complaint. The two officers “punched me in the face,” according to the complaint. According to Sledge, a third officer slammed his head to the ground. According to the complaint, he lost consciousness and awoke in the facility’s medical center.
After a judge ruled that Sledge had failed to file a grievance against the officers within 30 days of the incident, the claims were eventually dismissed.
Two fire department employees were also fired due to Nichols’ arrest.
SOURCE – (AP)
World
The Goal Of Donald Trump’s Transition Team Is To Withdraw The US From WHO “On Day One.”
(VOR News) – The transition team led by Donald Trump is reportedly planning to remove the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO) on the first day of the next government, according to experts.
This would have a “catastrophic” impact on people’s health all throughout the world, these experts warn.
On January 20, the day the president-elect becomes office, these individuals want to announce their desire to depart the global health agency, Donald Trump’s team members informed analysts.
If the World Health Organization were to depart, it would lose its most significant source of funding, which would hinder its ability to respond to public health emergencies such as the Coronavirus pandemic.
Donald Trump’s leadership and funding for global health are noteworthy.
The United States of America is most likely to leave a significant void. According to Georgetown Law professor of global health Lawrence Gostin, “I see no one that is going to fill the breach.” He went on to say that the withdrawal “on day one” will have “catastrophic” effects on people’s health all around the world.
Trump’s nomination of several allies, including vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy, for important health positions in the incoming government has led to a disagreement over US relations with the World Health Organization (WHO). Nevertheless, Gostin expressed doubt that Donald Trump would prioritize a prompt withdrawal as much as some of his colleagues.
The United States of America was the largest single donor to the World Health Organization (WHO), accounting for almost 16 percent of its funding in fiscal years 2022–2023.
In 2020, President Donald Trump began the process of disbanding the World Health Organization (WHO) after accusing it of being under Chinese control.
However, the process has never been completed, and his vice presidential replacement, Joe Biden, resumed relations with the agency on the first day of his administration in 2021.
Experts have seen that after initiating the process immediately, some Donald Trump administration officials are keen to proceed much more quickly this time.
Ashish Jha, a former White House Covid response coordinator for Biden and the director of Brown University’s school of public health, stated that the transition team wanted Donald Trump to withdraw on the first day because to the “symbolism” of reversing Biden’s own inauguration-day decision.
He remarked, “Many individuals within the administration’s inner circle lack trust in the WHO and wish to symbolically demonstrate their disassociation from it on the first day.”
“If you do not actively participate in these Donald Trump institutions.
You will not be able to respond quickly when the next outbreak happens,” he stated. Gostin predicted “very lean years for the WHO,” which would mean the organization would have to substantially cut back on its scientific workforce and struggle to respond to health emergencies.
If the United States withdrew, he said, European countries would likely not increase their contributions to the World Health Organization (WHO), and China might try to strengthen its influence. He claimed that since leaving would give China more authority, it would not be a smart move.
Questions concerning the possible withdrawal were not immediately answered by the Donald Trump transition team. “Is this the same WHO we left in place for the initial administration?” a person familiar with the arrangements told the Financial Times. Right now, we don’t appear to care all that much about what they have to say.
There was no response from the World Health Organization. The group’s director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, called it a “unique organization” earlier this month and said it aimed to collaborate with U.S. officials.
He continued, “From our end, we are prepared to collaborate with one another.” “I believe that the leaders of the United States of America are aware of the fact that the United States cannot be safe unless the rest of the world is safe.
SOURCE: FT
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World
Do Microplastics in the Atmosphere Endanger Your Fertility?
(VOR News) – It is quite possible that the presence of small microplastic particles in the air may be a contributing factor to a wide variety of health problems, including malignancies of the lungs and colon.
This is something that needs additional research to be determined. There is one more item to take into consideration, and that is the potential that this is the exact circumstance.
A recent study found that tires and debris that are decomposing shed minute fragments of plastic that go airborne, so creating a form of air pollution that is not particularly widely known. This type of pollution is caused by the degradation of plastic. An example of this type of pollution is that which is discharged into the atmosphere.
The industry refers to microplastic as “air pollution.”
According to the findings of a researcher named Tracey Woodruff, who is a professor of obstetrics, gynaecology, and reproductive sciences at the University of California, San Francisco, “These microplastics are basically particulate matter from air pollution,” and it is common knowledge that this particular type of air pollution is particularly hazardous.
The researchers who supplied background notes stated that the size of microplastics is less than 5 millimetres, which is smaller than a grain of rice.
This information was provided, according to researchers. These details were supplied by the researchers who conducted the study. These particulars were provided by researchers who were responsible for carrying out the study.
The amount of plastic that is created on a yearly basis by enterprises all over the world is roughly 460 million tonnes, as indicated by the data that were provided by academics all over the world. The forecasts indicate that by the year 2050, this quantity is anticipated to have increased to 1.1 billion tonnes.
Driving is a substantial contributor to the amount of plastic that is floating around in the atmosphere, according to the conclusions of the experts who conducted the study about the phenomenon. When tires are worn down to the point where they scrape against the surface of the road, they allow microplastics to be released into the environment.
As a result of the tires wearing down, this occurs. This impact is brought about as a consequence of the inevitable amount of wear and tear that tires are subjected to.
A study that was published on December 18 in the journal Environmental Science & Technology was the result of researchers conducting an examination of data collected from over 3,000 previous investigations.
The paper was published as a consequence of this procedure. The review was constructed with the help of this analysis that was carried out.
Microplastic used this analysis to put together the review.
A number of diseases, such as cancer, lung problems, and infertility, may be influenced by the presence of microplastics in the air, according to the data, which led to the conclusion that this may be the case.
Despite the fact that the vast majority of the studies that were incorporated into the study were carried out on animals, the researchers claimed that it is very certainly plausible that the findings can also be applied to people. The fact that the majority of investigations were conducted on animals does not change the reality that this is the case.
“We urge regulatory agencies and policy leaders to consider the growing evidence of health harms from microplastics, including colon and lung cancer,” stated Nicholas Chartres, the principal investigator and senior research fellow at the University of Sydney.
The organisation reported this comment. The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) issued a press release on behalf of the organisation that contained this statement. The news release was disseminated to the public. We are convinced that state officials will act quickly to make sure that no leaks of this kind occur, which is of the highest importance.
SOURCE: USN
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World
Russian Oil Ships In The Kerch Strait Are Undergoing Rescue Operations.
(VOR News) – Following Sunday’s powerful storm, a Russian oil tanker carrying hundreds of tonnes of oil products ultimately broke apart, causing an oil spill into the Kerch Strait below. Additionally, Russian officials reported that the damage was causing problems for another vessel.
Sunday, Russian authorities announced an emergency rescue operation.
According to the Russian state news agency TASS, which claimed the Emergency Situations Ministry as its source, the Volgoneft-212 tanker, carrying fuel oil and carrying thirteen crew members, ran aground and suffered damage to its bow. A shipment of fuel oil was being transported by the tanker.
Authorities have told the public that the damage was brought on by the extreme weather conditions that are currently occurring.
A second tanker, the Volgoneft-239, was damaged during the storm and is currently stranded in the same area with 14 crew members on board, according to the Ministry of Emergency Situations. The tanker was discovered abandoned and alone in the same spot.
Additional tankers also suffered damage. The 132-meter-long cruiser, which was constructed in 1973, hangs the Russian flag around its neck.
The footage posted by state media showed the 136-meter Volgoneft-212 tanker, which was cut in two with its bow underwater, and waves crashing over its deck. At least one person lost his life as a result of this tragedy. This led to the opening of two distinct criminal investigations by the Russian authorities to look into potential violations of certain safety regulations.
Having flown the Russian flag since 1969, the yacht was finished.
Rosmorrechflot, the Russian government agency in charge of water transportation, reported a petroleum product spill.
It is believed that the cargo capacity of each tanker is around 4,200 tonnes of oil products.
The magnitude of the leak and the cause of the substantial damage one of the tankers received were not specified in the official remarks. This is in accordance with the official remarks.
Several news sites cited Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov as saying that President Vladimir Putin directed the formation of a working committee to handle the rescue effort and lessen the effects of the oil disaster.
Peskov recommended that the government appoint the working committee’s members. This comment was made public right after Putin met with the ministries responsible for ecology and disaster management.
The Russian government has said that it will be sending more than fifty individuals and pieces of equipment to the area in response to the current crisis. Mi-8 helicopters and rescue tugboats are examples of these people and tools.
The news that experts are presently investigating the damage at the event site was announced by Svetlana Radionova, who is in charge of Rosprirodnadzor, Russia’s natural resources regulating entity.
Kommersant reports that Volgoneft-212 used 4,300 tonnes of fuel oil.
The footage, which showed a partially submerged ship and murky water on rough seas, was posted to Telegram without the owner’s consent.
The warships were located in the Kerch Strait, which separates Crimea from the Russian mainland, when the distress signals were sent out.
The Kerch Strait is a crucial international marine passage that connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Azov, allowing for easier traffic between the two bodies of water. It also acts as a border between Russia and the Crimean Peninsula, which is under Russian occupation. The Kerch Strait is located in the centre of the two nations.
The peninsula has remained a major source of contention between the two national governments ever since Russia annexed it from Ukraine in 2014. Russia was the one who seized the peninsula. Ukraine brought legal action against Russia before the Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016.
Specifically, the lawsuit claimed that Russia intended to illegally take over a location. The argument was supported by evidence pertaining to Russia’s conduct in the region. In 2021, the Russian Federation closed the strait for several consecutive months
SOURCE: VN
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