Month: September 2023

A federal grand jury on Tuesday indicted five former Memphis, Tenn., police officers on civil-rights violations related to the January beating death of motorist Tyre Nichols, as they continue to fight second-degree murder charges in state courts relating to Nichols killing. The Justice Department announced that a federal grand jury had indicted all five of the officers on civil-rights charges. Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division’s Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke said: “It is tragic to see a life cut short at 29, with so many milestones unmet, so many words unsaid, so much potential unfulfilled. These federal charges reflect the Justice Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting the constitutional and civil rights of every American and preserving the integrity of the criminal justice system.”

Former-MPD officers Emmitt Martin III, Tadarrius Bean, Justin Smith, Demetrius Haley, and Desmond Mills Jr. were each indicted in U.S. District Court in Memphis, charged in Tennessee with aggravated kidnapping and second-degree murder. The four-count indictment charges each of them with deprivation of rights under the color of law through excessive force and failure to intervene, and through deliberate indifference; conspiracy to witness tampering, and obstruction of justice through witness tampering.

The new charges come nine months after the violent beating of Nichols by police officers during a Jan. 7 traffic stop near his home in Memphis. Nichols died in a hospital on January 10, and the five officers have pleaded not guilty to state charges of second-degree murder and other alleged offenses in connection with the case. Like Nichols, the five officers charged in the case are Black.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a videotaped statement Tuesday that the Justice Department had informed Nichols’ family of the charges: “Today the Justice Department informed the family of Tyre Nichols that we have charged five former Memphis police detectives with federal crimes in connection with the death of Mr. Nichols. ”

In addition to state charges, the five officers could face life in prison from the federal charges that were announced Tuesday. A hearing was set for Friday morning in the federal lawsuit filed by Nichols’ mother against the five officers, the city of Memphis and its police department. The officers then are scheduled to appear in state court Friday afternoon.

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Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced Tuesday that his party is launching an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.

McCarthy made the statement at the U.S. Capitol in a formal announcement, saying the move was necessary to obtain documents and bank records from Biden in connection with an investigation of the president’s son Hunter Biden. McCarthy accused Biden of lying “to the American people about his own knowledge of his family’s foreign business dealings,” saying, “Today, I am directing our House committee to open a formal impeachment inquiry into President Biden.” The speaker accused Biden of “abuse of power, corruption and obstruction,” and claimed the president had “used his official office to coordinate with” his son Hunter Biden’s various business dealings. McCarthy ended his speech saying “We will go wherever the evidence takes us,” and left without taking questions from the press.

McCarthy said House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., will lead the impeachment investigation. He said it will be done in coordination with House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and House Ways and Means Committee Chair Jason Smith, R-Mo. If impeached, Biden would almost certainly be acquitted by the Democratic-controlled Senate.

White House spokesperson for oversight and investigations Ian Sams said on X, formerly known as Twitter: “House Republicans have been investigating the president for nine months and they’ve turned up no evidence of wrongdoing. His own GOP members have said so. He vowed to hold a vote to open impeachment. Now, he’s flip-flopped because he doesn’t have support. Extreme politics at its worst.”

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On Monday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the new COVID-19 boosters for Americans, with the updated vaccines set to become available within days. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is set to meet Tuesday to make recommendations on who should get the new booster shots. Dr. Mandy Cohen, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, could sign off soon after, allowing vaccinations to begin.

The updated COVID vaccines are each fully approved for those 12 and older and are authorized under emergency use for individuals 6 months through 11 years of age. Pfizer and Moderna’s COVID-19 shot, along with the flu shot and newly approved RSV shots, are part of a three-pronged public health strategy to tame the spread of all three viruses this coming winter.  Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said in a news release: “Vaccination remains critical to public health and continued protection against serious consequences of COVID-19, including hospitalization and death. The public can be assured that these updated vaccines have met the agency’s rigorous scientific standards for safety, effectiveness and manufacturing quality. We very much encourage those who are eligible to consider getting vaccinated.”

The boosters target the XBB.1.5 Omicron subvariant; while that is longer the dominant variant circulating currently, variants that are spreading are closely related, and health experts say this booster will still offer some protection.  Albert Bourla, Pfizer Chairman and CEO, said in a company news release: “This decision comes at a time when COVID-19 cases are once again climbing. Now, most people 6 months or older in the U.S. are eligible to receive this season’s COVID-19 vaccine, even if they have never been vaccinated against COVID-19 before.” Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel said in a company news release: “As the primary circulating strain continues to evolve, updated vaccines will be critical to protecting the population this season. We appreciate the FDA’s timely review and encourage individuals who intend to get their flu shot to also get their updated COVID-19 vaccine at the same time.”

Additionally, the federal government is not covering costs of the shots for the first time.  Most people with private and public health insurance should still be able to receive them for free, while those who are uninsured may be able to get them at community health centers. The full price is expected to be $110 to $130 per dose.  The Biden administration has also announced a “bridge” program to offer uninsured people access to free boosters through 2024.

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22 years since the terror attacks on September 11, 2001, the FDNY continues to count deaths related to post-9/11 illnesses resulting from the recovery efforts after the attacks. The Uniformed Firefighters Association of Greater New York shared that 343 New York City firefighters died on Sept. 11, 2001, and in the 22 years since, 341 more members of the FDNY have died from related causes.

The Uniformed Firefighters Association of Greater New York wrote on Facebook: “Today is the 22nd anniversary of the September 11th Terrorist Attacks, a day that we will always remember as one of the saddest days for our city and our country, and the worst day for the FDNY. There are no words that can fully express how much we miss the people we lost on September 11th 2001, and all those who have died because of illnesses caused by the World Trade Center toxins.”

As a result of the actions on 9/11 from the Al Qaeda terrorist group that hijacked four planes, crashing two into the Twin Towers at New York City’s World Trade Center, one into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. and one into a Pennsylvania field, nearly 3,000 people were killed. Subsequently, hundreds of subsequent deaths have occurred as a result of the toxins at Ground Zero, the site where the Twin Towers once stood.

The 9/11 Memorial and Museum was built in downtown Manhattan where the towers once stood to honor those who died on that day and since. The names of all the victims are etched into the memorial, and the FDNY announced last week that this year another 43 names of those who died from illnesses related to the event were added — the second-largest group to be added to the memorial since it opened in 2011, when 55 new names were added.

Dr. Michael Crane, an associate professor of environmental medicine and public health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, said nearly 10,000 first responders who were in the area that day had been diagnosed with cancer since. The number of post-9/11 deaths attributed to complications from that day were expected to top the number of deaths on 9/11.

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