Where people want answers…Memphis, TN. Yesterday, attorneys for the family of Tyre Nichols spoke publicly after reviewing police footage of the 29-year-old’s death. Earlier this month, police stopped Nichols for reckless driving. They then say Nichols tried to flee the scene and that they engaged with him in two “confrontations.” Ultimately, Nichols was sent to the hospital in critical condition — and died days later. Now, representatives for Nichols’ family have spoken out. They say Nichols was beaten like “a human piñata” for three minutes. They also say some of the officers approached him in unmarked cars. And that Nichols fled the scene because he was afraid, recorded calling out for his mother three times. They compared the incident to the 1991 beating of Rodney King. Not an isolated incident: The death of Tyre Nichols marks the latest high-profile death of a Black man at the hands of police, particularly at a traffic stop. And comes as Black Americans continue to be disproportionately killed in interactions with police. In this case, the five officers fired in connection to his death are also Black. Investigations: Now, there are multiple ongoing investigations into the incident, including from the Justice Department and FBI. Authorities are expected to release the footage publicly in the coming days. Who might be getting more help…Ukraine. Yesterday, Poland said it plans to ask Germany for permission to send German-made Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine. Kyiv’s been asking for these tanks for months — saying they’re crucial for a victory. But countries need to get the go-ahead from Berlin if they want to export any German-made weapons. Germany’s been hesitant in the past to greenlight sending the tanks to Ukraine, worried it would lead to Russian escalation. A Russian official has previously warned that countries who send weapons to Ukraine bear responsibility for continuing the conflict. But this weekend, Germany’s foreign minister said the government “would not stand in the way.” Now, Poland’s going to put in a formal request to send 14 tanks. But warned that if Germany says no, it will build a coalition with other nations who’ve got the tanks to send them anyway. What’s not music to some people’s ears…Layoffs. Yesterday, Spotify announced it’s cutting about 6% of its staff, about 600 employees. The audio streaming giant cited the same reasons a lot of other tech companies have given: fears of a looming recession. Who’s on the other side of the courts…Alex Murdaugh. Who swapped an ‘M’ for Maya Rudolph…M&M's. |