George Floyd Archives - Page 2 of 3

Violent Crime Surged in These Cities After Mass Black Lives Matter, Anti-Police Protests

May 9, 2021May 8, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

Violent crime surged in several U.S. cities that saw massive Black Live Matter and anti-police protests in the wake of George Floyd’s death last summer.

The upswing of violent crime, including homicides, coincided with the protests, increased anti-police sentiment among Americans and declining morale in police departments, which have since struggled to recruit new officers. The number of murders alone increased by 36.7% in 2020 compared to 2019, according to public information compiled by data analytics reporter Jeff Asher.

“We are definitely at a critical manpower shortage here,” Louisville police union spokesperson Dave Mutchler told the Daily Caller News Foundation last week. “The climate that we all find ourselves in right now is a lot more demanding and stressful on officers.”

Chauvin Juror Says He Attended BLM Protest Before Trial Because He'd 'Never Been to DC'

May 5, 2021May 4, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

A man who served on the jury that voted to convict former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin defended his participation in a Black Lives Matter protest prior to the trial.
Brandon Mitchell said he attended the Aug. 28 “Get Your Knee Off Our Necks!” protest organized by activist Al Sharpton because he had never been to Washington, D.C., according to the Associated Press. Photos recently circulated online show Mitchell wearing a Black Lives Matter shirt at the event.
“I’d never been to D.C.,” Mitchell told the AP. “The opportunity to go to D.C., the opportunity to be around thousands and thousands of Black people; I just thought it was a good opportunity to be a part of something.”

Police Refuse to Enter George Floyd Zone, Make Battered Woman Come to Them

May 3, 2021May 2, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

Mural of George Floyd on the side of a building

The Minneapolis Police Department apparently will not enter the so-called “Free State of George Floyd” to respond to crimes.

In the early morning hours of April 29, a woman was pushed out of a window during a domestic dispute on the corner of East 38th Street and Elliot Avenue, sustaining multiple injuries, according to a police scanner watchdog. The woman dialed 911 to get help but was told that police would not come to her aid because she was inside George Floyd Square, an autonomous zone which has designated itself “cop-free.”

“Is it possible to have her move at least a block away, maybe [to] 38 and 10th?” a responding police officer can be heard asking dispatch in a recorded radio conversation.

Police Groups, Unions to Argue Against Minneapolis Police Racism Probe in Meeting with DOJ

April 27, 2021April 26, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

Top police organizations and unions will reportedly express concern to Attorney General Merrick Garland about his racism probe into the Minneapolis Police Department, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The groups are expected to confront Garland and other Justice Department (DOJ) officials about the investigations during a meeting Friday afternoon, the WSJ reported. While many of the groups’ leaders have endorsed various police reforms since George Floyd’s death last year, they worried a broad probe would be unproductive and hurt rank-and-file officers.

“We recognize that there needs to be more oversight, there needs to be some reform in place, but we need DOJ to work with us because there has to be buy-in from the line men and women who do this job,” David Mahoney, president of the National Sheriffs’ Association and sheriff of Dane County, Wisconsin, told the WSJ.

Commentary: Chauvin Verdict Disappointed Democrats

April 24, 2021April 23, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

Tuesday afternoon the Democrats and the Left at large got exactly what they said they wanted from the trial of Derek Chauvin. The jury found him guilty of all three counts — second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter — with which he had been charged in the death of George Floyd. Yet prominent Democrats who commented on the verdict seemed slightly bewildered and disappointed. Their collective response was captured in this statement from Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison: “I would not call today’s verdict justice, because justice implies restoration.” This is an odd assertion coming from the man who orchestrated Chauvin’s prosecution and secured an unequivocal conviction.

It is particularly odd considering that the city of Minneapolis agreed in March to pay $27 million to settle a civil suit brought by George Floyd’s family pursuant to his death. Neither that settlement nor Chauvin’s conviction will restore George Floyd’s life, of course, but it is all one can reasonably expect from the legal system. That, unfortunately, is the rub. When Ellison deploys words like “justice” and “restoration,” he isn’t talking about what most Americans think of when they hear such terms. He is claiming they are meaningless in a structurally racist legal system that is itself the root cause of tragedies like George Floyd’s death. This is what renowned legal scholar Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) means by this obloquy:

I don’t want this moment to be framed as this system working. Because it’s not working. We saw a murder in front of all of our eyes, and yet we didn’t know if there would be a guilty verdict — it tells you everything. Verdicts are not substitutes for policy change…. and there are way too many people including my colleagues that think that’s the case…. This one case and this one verdict, we still have people getting killed by police every single day on average in the United States…. We’re willing to accept violence against some communities as a necessary cost for “safety.”

‘George Floyd Square’ Singles Out White People with Special Instructions for Behavior

April 24, 2021April 23, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

The intersection where George Floyd died of a fentanyl overdose, which has since been converted into an informal memorial, has signs posted with special instructions for how White people are supposed to behave in the area, according to Fox News.

Having since been unofficially renamed “George Floyd Square,” the intersection of E. 38th Street and Chicago Avenue has become the epicenter for Black Lives Matter and other far-left protests, with numerous memorials built to Floyd and other black people who have allegedly been murdered by police. At one of the entrances to the area, a sign has been erected declaring it to be “a sacred space for community, public grief, and protest.” The sign also falsely claims that Floyd “took his last breath under the knee of” Officer Derek Chauvin, even though footage revealed that Chauvin’s knee was actually on Floyd’s back and shoulder blade, not his neck.

Further down, the sign contains special instructions for how White people are to act upon entering the area. White people, the sign says, are to “decenter” and “come to listen, learn, mourn, and witness. Remember you are here to support, not be supported.” The sign goes on to order White people to “contribute to the energy of the space, rather than drain it,” providing no specifics on how exactly this is supposed to be done.

‘Maybe They Need to Feel the Pain:’ Minneapolis Protestor Suggests Killing All White People

April 22, 2021April 21, 2021 Peter D'Abrosca

Reporter and filmmaker Ami Horowitz traveled to Minneapolis to interview residents about the trial of former Minneapolis Police officer, and killing of George Floyd.

He released a two-minute compilation of interviews Tuesday night, after Chauvin’s conviction for second and third degree murder, along with manslaughter.

Jury Finds Derek Chauvin Guilty on All Counts in the Death of George Floyd

April 20, 2021April 20, 2021 The Center Square

Less than a year after the death of George Floyd in police custody, a jury found former Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin guilty on charges of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter.

Anger from the tragic death in police custody on May 25, 2020, was fueled by a bystander filming part of the arrest, showing Floyd pinned under Chauvin’s knee for 9 minutes and 45 seconds, while he pleaded “I can’t breathe.” Floyd was declared dead later that day.

The video caused protests worldwide and pushed discussion of police accountability and proper levels of force for minor crimes, as Floyd was arrested for allegedly attempting to spend a fake $20 bill.

Vandals Target Chauvin Defense Witness and Vandalize Wrong House

April 20, 2021April 19, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

Far-left domestic terrorists attempted to intimidate one of the key witnesses in the defense of Derek Chauvin over the weekend, but instead ended up vandalizing the wrong house, according to ABC News.

Barry Brodd, a former training officer with the Santa Rosa Police Department, testified during the defense of Chauvin, who is accused of murder in the death of George Floyd last year. Brodd concluded that, from his review of the evidence, Chauvin’s use of his knee to restrain Floyd was ultimately justified, and that he “was acting with objective reasonableness following Minneapolis Police Department policy and current standards of law enforcement in his interactions with Mr. Floyd.”

Following his testimony, a group of vandals dressed in all-black targeted his home in Santa Rosa early Saturday morning, throwing a severed pig’s head onto the front porch and splashing blood on the front of the building. However, Brodd no longer lives in that home, and the police were called by the terrified new homeowners at about 3 AM.

Top BLM Activist Demands Investigation Following Co-Founder’s Multimillion Dollar Real Estate Buying Spree

April 13, 2021April 12, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

A top Black Lives Matter activist called for an “independent investigation” into the group’s finances following a report that the group’s co-founder is in the midst of a multimillion-dollar real estate buying spree.

BLM Global Network Foundation co-founder and executive director Patrisse Khan-Cullors, a self-proclaimed “trained Marxist,” has purchased four homes across the U.S. since 2016 for a total of $3.2 million, according to the New York Post.

Khan-Cullors latest acquisition came on March 30 when she purchased a $1.4 million home in Los Angeles in the majority-white Topanga Canyon neighborhood. She purchased the home through a corporate entity under her control, according to Dirt, a celebrity real estate blog.

State’s Expert Witness Says Fentanyl Did Not Kill Floyd

April 10, 2021April 9, 2021 Peter D'Abrosca

According to a doctor called by prosecutors to testify in the trial of former Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin, the potentially fatal levels of fentanyl and methamphetamine in George Floyd’s body at the time of his arrest were not the cause of his death.

Dr. Martin Tobin of Chicago said a “low-level of oxygen” caused by Chauvin pinning Floyd to the ground during his arrest “caused damage to his brain that we see, and it also caused a PEA arrhythmia that caused his heart to stop.”

In Debate, Democratic Gubernatorial Candidates Discuss Gun Violence and the Parole Board

April 7, 2021April 7, 2021 Eric Burk

The five Democratic candidates for governor met for the first televised debate on Tuesday evening where they discussed issues including the economic crisis, gun violence, marijuana legalization, the Virginia Parole Board, and vaccine hesitancy. For the most part, the candidates stuck to discussing their own policies, but occasionally turned to attack perceived front-runner McAuliffe.

Chauvin Attorney Destroys Narrative That Floyd Called for Mother Before His Death, Media Ignores

April 2, 2021April 1, 2021 Peter D'Abrosca

Towards the end of his questioning of George Floyd’s girlfriend Courteney Ross, Eric Nelson, the attorney for former Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin, uncovered a bombshell that has been left out of mainstream media coverage.

“You and Floyd – Mr. Floyd, excuse me – I’m assuming, like most couples, had pet names for each other?” Nelson asked Ross.

Judge Won’t Delay or Move Chauvin Trial, Despite $27 Million Civil Settlement with Floyd Family

March 20, 2021March 19, 2021 Peter D'Abrosca

Despite a $27 million civil settlement between the city of Minneapolis and the family of George Floyd, the judge in the high-profile trial of ex-Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin will continue as scheduled.

“Unfortunately, the pretrial publicity will continue no matter how long we continue [the trial],” Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill said Friday.

Chauvin Lawyer Requests to Move Trial from Hennepin County

March 19, 2021March 18, 2021 Peter D'Abrosca

Earlier this week, the attorney for Derek Chauvin requested that the ex-Minneapolis Police officer’s trial be moved from Hennepin County due to the risk of a prejudiced jury.

“You have elected officials — the governor, the mayor — making incredibly prejudicial statements about my client, this case,” Eric Nelson told Hennepin County District Court Judge Peter Cahill. “You have the city settling a civil lawsuit for a record amount of money. And the pre-trial publicity is just so concerning.”

Judge in Chauvin Trial Threatens to Boot Media for ‘Irresponsible’ Reporting

March 18, 2021March 17, 2021 Peter D'Abrosca

Hennepin County District Court Judge Peter Cahill, who is presiding over the high-profile trial of former Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin, had strong words for the members of the media inside his courtroom Wednesday.

“It’s been brought to the court’s attention that the media has been reporting specific details trying to look at counsels’ – the documents, computers, post-it notes – on counsel tables,” Cahill said. “That’s absolutely inappropriate. Any media who are in this room will refrain from even attempting to look at what is on counsel tables, either for the state or for the defense.”

Man Sentenced for Threatening Trump Supporters Online, Brandishing Assault Rifle at George Floyd Protest

March 16, 2021March 15, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

A Texas man was sentenced to 46 months in federal jail over brandishing an assault rifle at a George Floyd protest, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Prerak Shah announced in a Wednesday press release.

Emmanuel Quinones, 25, acknowledged “he brought a loaded Smith & Wesson .223 caliber semi-automatic rifle” to the protest protesting Floyd’s death, plea papers said, according to the Department of Justice press release. Quinones also acknowledged he made threatening posts online before the protest.

Months After Gutting Police Budget, Portland Mayor Asks for $2 Million to Stop Surging Murder Rate

March 15, 2021March 14, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

Democratic Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler submitted a request to the Portland City Council on Thursday for a one-time $2 million expenditure for police, months after the council voted to cut nearly $16 million from the police bureau’s budget.

Wheeler, who previously advocated for the Portland Police Bureau’s budget to be cut, cited a dangerous surge in gun violence throughout the city as the primary reason for requesting the funds, according to the Oregonian.

Third-Degree Murder Charge Reinstated Against Chauvin

March 12, 2021March 11, 2021 Peter D'Abrosca

Hennepin County District Court Judge Peter Cahill Thursday overturned his own decision to drop third-degree murder charges against former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin after an appeal from state prosecutors.

“The dispute over the third-degree murder charge revolved around wording in the law that references an act ’eminently dangerous to others,'” Spectrum News reported. “Cahill’s initial decision to dismiss the charge had noted that Chauvin’s conduct might be construed as not dangerous to anyone but Floyd.”

Chauvin Trial Will Continue with Jury Selection Despite Active Appeal

March 10, 2021March 9, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

The jury selection process in the trial of a former Minneapolis police officer charged with killing George Floyd will continue despite an active appeal to reinstate previous charges, the Associated Press reported.

Judge Peter Cahill said he will continue with the trial unless the appeals court rules that a third-degree murder charge can be reinstated against former officer Derek Chauvin, the AP reported. Prosecutors have asked the court to pause the trial as the charges are considered.

Virginia Man Sentenced to Three Years for Driving Through BLM Protest

February 19, 2021February 18, 2021 Peter D'Abrosca

A Virginia man was sentenced to three years in prison Thursday after pleading guilty to charges stemming from driving through a crowd of Black Lives Matter protestors last year.

Emmanuel “Manny” Wilder pleaded guilty to failure to appear, reckless driving, disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace, according to WAVY. Wilder did not hit anyone during the incident.

Famous Virginia High School Changing Name, George Floyd Among List of Contenders

January 16, 2021January 15, 2021 Peter D'Abrosca

A famous Virginia high school is changing its name, and among the list of contenders is a prominent figure of the Black Lives Matter movement.

“Students at T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Va., have submitted more than 50 options as the school seeks a new name, among them naming it after notable individuals such as Ruth Bader Ginsburg, George Floyd and even Brian Sicknick, the Capitol Police officer who died following last week’s riots in Washington,” according to The Hill.

National Guard Preparing for Indefinite Deployment While George Floyd Trial Proceeds in Minneapolis

December 19, 2020December 18, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

The Minnesota National Guard may deploy indefinitely to Minneapolis while the four former police officers involved in the death of George Floyd are on trial in 2021, an ABC affiliate reported Wednesday.

The National Guard’s 12-page plan dubbed “Operation Safety Net” details a worst-case scenario plan where all available state guard forces are deployed for an indefinite amount of time during and after the trials of former Minneapolis police officers Derek Chauvin, J. Alexander Keung, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao, local outlet KSTP reported.

Parents Submit Letter to Betsy DeVos Requesting Civil Rights Investigation into Loudoun Schools

October 31, 2020October 30, 2020 Corinne Murdock

Parents have submitted a letter to Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos requesting a civil rights investigation into Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS). These parents requested that the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to determine whether LCPS violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and the Constitution, as well as President Donald Trump’s “Executive Order on Combatting Race and Sex Stereotyping.”
The letter alleged that LCPS engaged in discrimination when it excluded non-Hispanic and non-Black parents from federally-funded focus groups; mandated staff training on “implicit bias,” including white privilege, white supremacy, and unconscious bias; restricted disciplinary action on minority students to make data proportional; and excluded staff and student members from opportunities based on race.

Rand Paul, Ted Cruz Stump for Virginia Republican Candidates

October 26, 2020October 26, 2020 Eric Burk

It was cold and rainy, but approximately 150 people attended the Chesterfield GOTV Rally in a covered arena at Keystone Acres on Sunday afternoon. Senators Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) headlined the event. Virginia candidates Nick Freitas, Daniel Gade, and Leon Benjamin appealed to supporters to not only vote, but to encourage friends and community members to vote.

Third Degree Murder Charge for Derek Chauvin Dropped, All Others Charges Remain

October 23, 2020October 22, 2020 The Center Square

A Hennepin County District Court Judge on Wednesday night chose to sustain eight of the nine total charges against the four defendants in the death of George Floyd while he was in the custody of the Minneapolis Police Department.

In a 107-page ruling, Judge Peter A. Cahill dropped Derek Chauvin’s third-degree murder charge, but sustained second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter charges against the former Minneapolis police officer.

Police Arrest Dozens of Protesters After Officer in Floyd Death Released on Million Dollar Bond

October 9, 2020October 8, 2020 The Associated Press

Fifty-one people were arrested during protests Wednesday after a former Minneapolis police officer charged in the death of George Floyd was released on bail.

Derek Chauvin had been in custody in a Minnesota prison as he awaits a March trial on charges of murder and other counts. He was released Wednesday after posting a $1 million bond. He had been held in a state prison instead of a local jail for security reasons.

Adidas Touts Donations to Minnesota Freedom Fund, Which Bailed Out Convicted Domestic Abusers, Man Accused of Sexually Penetrating Child

October 1, 2020September 30, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

Athletic apparel giant Adidas is still touting its donations to the Minnesota Freedom Fund, which bailed out a lengthy list of alleged violent criminals, including multiple convicted domestic abusers and a man accused of sexually penetrating a child.

Adidas ran a Twitter advertisement Tuesday that linked to a page on its website showcasing Adidas’s efforts to create “meaningful and lasting change” on the issue of racial justice, which includes matching employee donations to the Minnesota Freedom Fund by 200%.

Minnesota Vikings Pregame Video: Early 20th-Century Racism Endures Today

September 14, 2020September 14, 2020 Corinne Murdock

The Minnesota Vikings aired a pregame video from the National Football League (NFL) likening today to the reality of early 20th-century black Americans.
“As we celebrate the return to football, the Minnesota Vikings recognize the continuing fight for equality, and the work needed to improve our community,” stated the announcer.

Here Are 31 Times the Media Justified or Explained Away Rioting and Looting After George Floyd’s Death

September 6, 2020September 5, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

Dozens of news outlets published content that either justified or explained away rioting and looting in the initial weeks of unrest following the police custody death of George Floyd in late May, a Daily Caller News Foundation review found.

While President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden have both condemned rioting and looting, major news outlets such as CNN and MSNBC have appeared to downplay the unrest that has gripped American cities in the months following Floyd’s death, in one instance describing a scene as “mostly peaceful” as fires raged in the background.

Poll: Nearly Half of All Voters Concerned Violent Riots Will Come to Their Communities

September 2, 2020September 1, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

Nearly half of all registered voters in the country are concerned that violent riots could arise in their own communities, according to a new Just the News Daily Poll with Scott Rasmussen.

A total of 48% of voters expressed fears that the destructive protests across the U.S. in recent months might happen their own neighborhoods. Just 20% of voters, meanwhile, are not at all worried, while 30% said they were “not very worried” about the possibility. And 3% said they were unsure.

University of Minnesota Medical School Application Features Question About George Floyd, Rayshard Brooks

August 20, 2020August 20, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

The University of Minnesota Medical School application includes an optional question that asks students to share their “lessons learned” about “systemic racism” in the wake of George Floyd and Rayshard Brooks’s deaths.

“Right now is a watershed moment in American history and this country’s reckoning with race, racism, racial injustice, and especially anti-black hatred,” the question on the application, obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation, read.

All These Major American Companies with Hong Kong Footprints Weighed in on George Floyd’s Death, but Not China’s Hong Kong Takeover

July 19, 2020July 18, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

Major American companies were quick to issue statements in support of Black Lives Matter or social justice causes in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death, but dozens of those same firms that have operations in Hong Kong have yet to weigh in on the Chinese Communist Party’s de facto takeover of the city.

Bank of America, Coca-Cola, Marriott, McDonalds, Nike and Scholastic are among the dozens of major American companies with footholds in Hong Kong that weighed in after Floyd’s death but have yet to weigh in on the new security law Beijing recently imposed on the city, which impacts its employees working in the city and which critics say is designed to crack down on dissent of the ruling Communist Party.

Chaotic Protests Prompt Soul-Searching in Portland, Oregon

July 16, 2020July 15, 2020 The Associated Press

Nearly two months of nightly protests that have devolved into violent clashes with police have prompted soul-searching in Portland, Oregon, a city that prides itself on its progressive reputation but is increasingly polarized over how to handle the unrest.

President Donald Trump recently deployed federal agents to “quell” the demonstrations in Portland that began after George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police, shining an unwelcome spotlight as the city struggles to find a way forward. The national attention comes as divisions deepen among elected officials about the legitimacy of the more violent protests — striking at the heart of Portland’s identity as an ultraliberal haven where protest is seen as a badge of honor.

Sen. Blackburn Says Rep. Ilhan Omar Should Resign After Calling for Dismantling of U.S. Economic, Political Systems

July 9, 2020July 8, 2020 Jason M. Reynolds

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) said U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) should resign after the representative called for the “dismantling” of the U.S. “economy and political systems.”

Omar made the remark during a speech Tuesday to the Minnesota People of Color and Indigenous Caucus, The Daily Wire reported.

Pelosi Says House Police Reform Bill ‘Worthy of George Kirby’s Name’

June 27, 2020June 27, 2020 Anthony Gockowski

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said during her weekly press briefing Friday that the Democrat-led police reform bill is “worthy of George Kirby’s name.”

The bill, however, is named for George Floyd, who died one month ago while in the custody of the Minneapolis police.

Commentary: Today’s Cultural Revolution Will Not Stop at Elections, They Want Your Minds

June 24, 2020June 23, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

The cultural revolutionaries who have begun marching in the wake of the murder of George Floyd by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin have opened a widespread assault on history itself, toppling statues across the country including those of Confederate generals like Albert Pike in Washington, D.C. but also Union generals, too, like Ulysses S. Grant in San Francisco, who won the Civil War to abolish slavery and later went on to become President.

The vandals have even begun targeting religious symbols, with some calls to go after statues of Jesus, who was Jewish, as somehow being a symbol of white supremacy.

Revival with Miracles Breaks Out in Spot Where George Floyd Died in Police Custody

June 18, 2020June 17, 2020 Jason M. Reynolds

Christian media outlets report a revival filled with miracles has been happening in the spot where George Floyd died in the custody of the Minneapolis Police Department.

CBN News reports salvations, baptisms, worship and healings are taking place. The movement began with Dr. Charles Karuku and Pastor Lindsey Karuku of International Outreach Church, CBN News said. They told CBN’s The Prayer Link that they felt a call from God.

Commentary: Violence Seen and Unseen

June 18, 2020June 17, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

Morally speaking, we live today as a people peering into a mirror without reflecting glass. As a culture, we hardly know who we are.

This has become most clear to me as a consequence of the experiment I have conducted in recent days. I requested people of disparate backgrounds, dispositions, understandings, and political inclinations to respond to a video that has circulated around the web. The video engages the drumbeat narrative of racial differences and their consequences, and I sought to discover whether anyone at all could peer beyond the now orthodox content to identify the Mengele-like substance.

Rep. Ilhan Omar Calls Minneapolis Police ‘Rotten,’ Can’t Explain Who Will Respond to Violent Crimes Without Them

June 16, 2020June 15, 2020 Anthony Gockowski

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) was unable to provide details on who will respond to violent crimes in her city without a police force, but said the Minneapolis Police Department is “rotten to the root” during a Sunday interview.

“What takes its place?” CNN host Jake Tapper asked the congresswoman. “Who investigates crimes? Who arrests criminals? What happens?”

Truck Drivers Say They Won’t Deliver to Cities That Defund Police Departments

June 15, 2020June 14, 2020 Anthony Gockowski

As Minneapolis prepares to “abolish” its police force, a recent survey found that most truck drivers won’t deliver to cities with defunded or disbanded police departments.

According to a survey from CDLLife, a resource site for the trucking industry, 79 percent of truck drivers said they will refuse to deliver freight to cities with defunded police departments.

Starbucks Creates Own Black Lives Matter Shirt for Employees

June 14, 2020June 13, 2020 The Associated Press

Starbucks is creating its own Black Lives Matter shirt for employees to wear if they choose. The move comes after the coffee chain reportedly banned employees from wearing Black Lives Matter gear.

The T-shirt depicts protest signs with phrases including “Black Lives Matter,” “Speak Up” and “Time for Change.” One sign shows a raised black fist. “It’s not a moment, it’s a movement,” the shirt reads.

Commentary: White America Reckons with Black Lives Matter

June 12, 2020June 11, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

Scenes of largely white crowds across the world demonstrating in support of Black Lives Matter in the wake of George Floyd’s murder are reminiscent of another watershed moment in America – The 1960s civil rights revolution, in which white America finally awakened to the plight of blacks in this country. What followed was an upheaval in American society that forever changed the political landscape.

Defunding and Abolishing the Police Are Attempts to Overthrow the Government and Instill a New Order

June 12, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

America is on the brink.

In the wake of the murder and manslaughter of George Floyd by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, and in the nationwide protests and sometime riots that have already claimed 21 lives, there is a growing movement to defund or even to abolish the police in municipalities across America in pursuit of “alternatives” to public safety.

Analysis: Media Outlets Stir Racial Strife and Slander Trump for Urging Governors to Protect People’s Rights

June 10, 2020June 9, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

After falsely accusing the U.S. Park Police of tear-gassing peaceful protesters on behalf of President Trump, many media outlets and politicians are claiming that he called on governors to forcibly “dominate protestors.” Quite the opposite, Trump explicitly stated he is an “ally of all peaceful protesters” and that it is the “professional anarchists, violent mobs, arsonists, looters” and other lawbreakers who should be stopped.

Beyond their failure to draw a distinction between peaceful demonstrators and violent lawbreakers, the same cadre of media outlets are stirring racial strife by using anecdotes and half-truths to paint a false picture of systemic police violence against African Americans.

‘People Are Just F***ing Lawless Right Now’: Chicago Aldermen Got Heated in Call with Chicago Mayor During Protests

June 10, 2020June 9, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

Aldermen begged, cried and cursed at Democratic Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot over the city’s response to protests during a heated conference call May 31, according to a recording obtained by WTTW News.

Lightfoot received criticism from members of Chicago City Council’s Black Caucus who accused her during the call of deploying 375 members of the Illinois National Guard to block off the central business district, PBS affiliate WTTW News reported.

Supreme Court Urged to Rethink Legal Immunity for Police Officers Amid Floyd Protests

June 7, 2020June 6, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

The Supreme Court is weighing petitions to reexamine legal immunity that protects officers from being sued in instances of brutal arrests, use of excessive force and the shooting of innocent people in their homes.

The call for reassessment comes during nationwide protests of police brutality, the most recent instance being the death of George Floyd. Floyd died on May 25 after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for several minutes, video of the incident shows.

More Active-Duty Troops Leaving D.C., Others Remain on Alert

June 6, 2020June 6, 2020 The Associated Press

Nearly 500 of the active-duty troops brought in to help if needed with the civil unrest in the nation’s capitol have been given orders to leave Washington after a fourth day of largely peaceful protests, Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy and other officials said Friday.

But a number of other active-duty soldiers remain on alert in the region, prepared to respond if needed.

Twitter Disables Trump Campaign’s George Floyd Video Tribute

June 6, 2020June 5, 2020 The Associated Press

Twitter has blocked a Trump campaign video tribute to George Floyd over a copyright claim, in a move that adds to tensions between the social media platform and the U.S. president, one of its most widely followed users.

The company put a label on a video posted by the @TeamTrump account that said, “This media has been disabled in response to a claim by the copyright owner.” The video was still up on President Donald Trump’s YouTube channel and includes pictures of Floyd, whose death sparked widespread protests, at the start.