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George Floyd: US braces for trial of police officer over killing – live updates George Floyd killing: trial of police officer Derek Chauvin delayed until Tuesday – live
(32 minutes later)
Jury selection is scheduled to begin for the trial of Derek Chauvin Minneapolis judge delays start of trial of the former police officer who killed George Floyd
The White House coronavirus response team is now holding its briefing, to provide an update on the vaccine distribution process.
According to senior White House adviser Andy Slavitt, the US administered an average of 2.2 million vaccine doses a day over the past week.
On Saturday alone, the US administered 2.9 million vaccine doses, setting a new single-day record.
The pace of vaccinations means Joe Biden is ahead of his goal to administer 100 million doses over his first 100 days in office.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released its long-awaited guidance on best practices for Americans who have been fully vaccinated.
According to the CDC, those who have been fully vaccinated can visit indoors with others who are fully vaccinated without wearing masks.
Additionally, those who have been fully vaccinated can safely gather indoors with unvaccinated people from a single household without wearing masks, the CDC said.
That second point will likely be a huge relief for older Americans, many of whom have already been vaccinated and have gone months without visiting their children, grandchildren and other relatives because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Guardian’s Sam Levine reports:
Today I’ll be watching the Georgia legislature, where the state senate will vote on several measures on Monday that could significantly restrict voting rights.
The proposals are being considered after Georgia saw record turnout, including surging turnout among Black voters, in the 2020 elections. Many of the proposals under consideration would harm Black voters, according to an analysis by the Brennan Center for Justice.
The most sweeping of the bills mirrors a proposal that passed the Georgia House last week. It would require voters to show identification information when they vote by mail, only allow local election officials to offer one Sunday of early voting and limit the use of absentee ballot drop boxes among other provisions.
But the senate is also considering even more changes. One of those would only allow voters who have a valid excuse or are 65 and older to cast an absentee ballot, eliminating the no-excuse system Georgia Republicans passed in 2005. It’s unclear, however, if Republicans have the votes to adopt that proposal and top Republicans in the state have signaled that Georgia should leave no-excuse absentee voting in place.
Another provision would eliminate a Georgia policy of automatically registering to vote anyone who interacts with the state’s motor vehicle agency, unless they opt out.
Monday is important because it is the deadline for bills to be passed out of either house in the legislature.
A Minneapolis judge has delayed the start of the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former police office who killed George Floyd.
Reuters reports:
Minneapolis has been on edge as it awaits the start of the trial, with many of the city’s African Americans residents dreading the prospect of justice yet again not being served.
Roy Blunt is the chairman of the Senate Republican policy committee, so his departure will leave an opening in the caucus’ leadership team.Roy Blunt is the chairman of the Senate Republican policy committee, so his departure will leave an opening in the caucus’ leadership team.
The Missouri senator had also been viewed as a potential successor to Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, raising more questions about the future of Senate Republican leadership.The Missouri senator had also been viewed as a potential successor to Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, raising more questions about the future of Senate Republican leadership.
Blunt’s departure, in combination with the retirements of four of his Republican colleagues, will also likely spark more questions about the direction of the party, as it remains closely tied to Donald Trump.Blunt’s departure, in combination with the retirements of four of his Republican colleagues, will also likely spark more questions about the direction of the party, as it remains closely tied to Donald Trump.
Senator Roy Blunt, a Republican of Missouri, has announced that he will not run for reelection next year.Senator Roy Blunt, a Republican of Missouri, has announced that he will not run for reelection next year.
“After 14 general election victories -- three to county office, seven to the United States House of Representatives and four statewide elections -- I won’t be a candidate for reelection to the United States Senate next year,” Blunt said in a video announcing the decision.“After 14 general election victories -- three to county office, seven to the United States House of Representatives and four statewide elections -- I won’t be a candidate for reelection to the United States Senate next year,” Blunt said in a video announcing the decision.
Blunt offered his thanks to his family, his team and Missourians for “giving me the chance to work for you” over the past 10 years.Blunt offered his thanks to his family, his team and Missourians for “giving me the chance to work for you” over the past 10 years.
“Another lesson I learned here: finish strong. And I intend to,” Blunt added.“Another lesson I learned here: finish strong. And I intend to,” Blunt added.
Blunt is now the fifth Senate Republican to announce he will not seek reelection in 2022 -- after Senators Richard Burr of North Carolina, Rob Portman of Ohio, Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania and Richard Shelby of Alabama did the same.Blunt is now the fifth Senate Republican to announce he will not seek reelection in 2022 -- after Senators Richard Burr of North Carolina, Rob Portman of Ohio, Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania and Richard Shelby of Alabama did the same.
That number could soon increase to six, if Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa, who is 87, chooses not to seek another term.That number could soon increase to six, if Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa, who is 87, chooses not to seek another term.
The retirements mean the Republican party will be defending many seats with non-incumbent candidates as they seek to flip control of the Senate next year.The retirements mean the Republican party will be defending many seats with non-incumbent candidates as they seek to flip control of the Senate next year.
Representative Ro Khanna, a deputy whip for the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said he believed that the coronavirus relief bill has enough votes in the House to pass.Representative Ro Khanna, a deputy whip for the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said he believed that the coronavirus relief bill has enough votes in the House to pass.
Khanna acknowledged that there has been some “frustration” among caucus members over many progressive provisions of the bill, including the $15 minimum wage proposal, being stripped out or narrowed in the Senate bill.Khanna acknowledged that there has been some “frustration” among caucus members over many progressive provisions of the bill, including the $15 minimum wage proposal, being stripped out or narrowed in the Senate bill.
“But overall, no one wants to play games with people’s lives. People are suffering,” Khanna said. “So I believe it will have the votes to pass.”“But overall, no one wants to play games with people’s lives. People are suffering,” Khanna said. “So I believe it will have the votes to pass.”
The House is expected to take up the bill tomorrow, and Democrats will move toward a quick passage. If the bill passes, Joe Biden could sign the legislation as early as tomorrow night.The House is expected to take up the bill tomorrow, and Democrats will move toward a quick passage. If the bill passes, Joe Biden could sign the legislation as early as tomorrow night.
Joe Biden has released a statement celebrating Pope Francis’ recent trip to Iraq, which marked the first-ever papal visit to the country.Joe Biden has released a statement celebrating Pope Francis’ recent trip to Iraq, which marked the first-ever papal visit to the country.
“Pope Francis’ visit was a historic and welcome first for the country. It sent an important message, as Pope Francis said himself, that ‘fraternity is more durable than fratricide, that hope is more powerful than death, that peace more powerful than war,’” Biden said.“Pope Francis’ visit was a historic and welcome first for the country. It sent an important message, as Pope Francis said himself, that ‘fraternity is more durable than fratricide, that hope is more powerful than death, that peace more powerful than war,’” Biden said.
“I congratulate the Government and people of Iraq for the care and planning that went into organizing this monumental visit, and continue to admire Pope Francis for his commitment to promoting religious tolerance, the common bonds of our humanity, and interfaith understanding.”“I congratulate the Government and people of Iraq for the care and planning that went into organizing this monumental visit, and continue to admire Pope Francis for his commitment to promoting religious tolerance, the common bonds of our humanity, and interfaith understanding.”
During the trip, the pope visited churches destroyed by the Islamic State, and he urged the region’s Christians to forgive the injustices that drove them into exile.During the trip, the pope visited churches destroyed by the Islamic State, and he urged the region’s Christians to forgive the injustices that drove them into exile.
This is Joan Greve in Washington, taking over for Martin Belam.This is Joan Greve in Washington, taking over for Martin Belam.
The Senate passed Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package on Saturday, after a long vote-a-rama session, as Republicans attempted to derail the bill.The Senate passed Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package on Saturday, after a long vote-a-rama session, as Republicans attempted to derail the bill.
The bill will now go back to the House, which is expected to pass the final version of the legislation as early as tomorrow.The bill will now go back to the House, which is expected to pass the final version of the legislation as early as tomorrow.
That means that Biden will likely sign the bill, marking his first major legislative victory as president, later this week.That means that Biden will likely sign the bill, marking his first major legislative victory as president, later this week.
The blog will have more details on that coming up, so stay tuned.The blog will have more details on that coming up, so stay tuned.
Mike Allen at Axios has a write-up this morning of his own TV interview with Sen Joe Manchin, who he describes as “America’s ultimate swing voter”. Allen writes:Mike Allen at Axios has a write-up this morning of his own TV interview with Sen Joe Manchin, who he describes as “America’s ultimate swing voter”. Allen writes:
Read more here: Axios – Manchin’s next power playRead more here: Axios – Manchin’s next power play
Sonia Elks reports for Reuters on International Women’s Day that 90% of Americans think the United States could have its first woman president within a decade, according to a new poll.Sonia Elks reports for Reuters on International Women’s Day that 90% of Americans think the United States could have its first woman president within a decade, according to a new poll.
A Gallup poll conducted in 74 countries showed Americans were the most likely to say they thought a woman could lead their nation by 2030. Hillary Clinton won the popular vote in 2016, but was denied the presidency by the Electoral College system that the US uses to choose the president.A Gallup poll conducted in 74 countries showed Americans were the most likely to say they thought a woman could lead their nation by 2030. Hillary Clinton won the popular vote in 2016, but was denied the presidency by the Electoral College system that the US uses to choose the president.
Kamala Harris’s election as the first female vice president last year was a significant boost for efforts to boost women’s political representation and help young women see themselves in top jobs, according to campaigners.Kamala Harris’s election as the first female vice president last year was a significant boost for efforts to boost women’s political representation and help young women see themselves in top jobs, according to campaigners.
“We all believe Harris is going to run for president again very, very soon,” said Sara Guillermo, executive director of California-based young women’s political leadership organisation IGNITE, describing Harris’s election as a “huge cultural shift”.“We all believe Harris is going to run for president again very, very soon,” said Sara Guillermo, executive director of California-based young women’s political leadership organisation IGNITE, describing Harris’s election as a “huge cultural shift”.
“That is really huge, not just for the little girls of the world but for the little boys, to be able to fully understand that both genders can serve in the highest leadership role,” she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in a video call.“That is really huge, not just for the little girls of the world but for the little boys, to be able to fully understand that both genders can serve in the highest leadership role,” she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in a video call.
Harris, 56, is seen as an obvious contender for her party’s 2024 candidacy should Biden, 78, decide not to run.Harris, 56, is seen as an obvious contender for her party’s 2024 candidacy should Biden, 78, decide not to run.
A journalist will face trial in Iowa today on charges arising from her arrest while covering a Black Lives Matter protest last year, in a case condemned by Amnesty International and news organizations across the US as an assault on press freedom.A journalist will face trial in Iowa today on charges arising from her arrest while covering a Black Lives Matter protest last year, in a case condemned by Amnesty International and news organizations across the US as an assault on press freedom.
Andrea Sahouri, a public safety reporter for the Des Moines Register, is charged with “failure to disperse and interference with official acts, misdemeanors”. If convicted, she could face a fine and 30 days in jail. She has pleaded not guilty.Andrea Sahouri, a public safety reporter for the Des Moines Register, is charged with “failure to disperse and interference with official acts, misdemeanors”. If convicted, she could face a fine and 30 days in jail. She has pleaded not guilty.
Sahouri was arrested at the protest in Des Moines on 31 May, six days after the killing of George Floyd by officers in Minneapolis, which touched off months of international protests against police brutality and for racial justice.Sahouri was arrested at the protest in Des Moines on 31 May, six days after the killing of George Floyd by officers in Minneapolis, which touched off months of international protests against police brutality and for racial justice.
She says she identified herself as a member of the press several times. But police pepper-sprayed and zip-tied her and her then boyfriend. Both were taken to Polk county jail.She says she identified herself as a member of the press several times. But police pepper-sprayed and zip-tied her and her then boyfriend. Both were taken to Polk county jail.
A Des Moines police officer, Luke Wilson, has said he believed Sahouri was a protester because she was not wearing press credentials. Because Wilson did not turn on his body camera as he was supposed to, there is no video footage of the incident. Sahouri did film herself recounting what happened, while detained in a police car.A Des Moines police officer, Luke Wilson, has said he believed Sahouri was a protester because she was not wearing press credentials. Because Wilson did not turn on his body camera as he was supposed to, there is no video footage of the incident. Sahouri did film herself recounting what happened, while detained in a police car.
The judge in the case, Lawrence McLellan, has declined to drop the charges but has ordered police to give body camera training materials to Sahouri’s defense team.The judge in the case, Lawrence McLellan, has declined to drop the charges but has ordered police to give body camera training materials to Sahouri’s defense team.
Sahouri was one of many journalists targeted by police amid the wave of protests that followed the killing of Floyd. The trial of the officer who knelt on Floyd’s neck, Derek Chauvin, is scheduled to begin on Monday.Sahouri was one of many journalists targeted by police amid the wave of protests that followed the killing of Floyd. The trial of the officer who knelt on Floyd’s neck, Derek Chauvin, is scheduled to begin on Monday.
The CNN journalist Omar Jimenez, and his crew were arrested live on camera while covering a protest in Minneapolis. The NBC journalist Ali Velshi was shot in the leg with a rubber bullet, also live on camera. Donald Trump called what happened to Velshi “the most beautiful thing”.The CNN journalist Omar Jimenez, and his crew were arrested live on camera while covering a protest in Minneapolis. The NBC journalist Ali Velshi was shot in the leg with a rubber bullet, also live on camera. Donald Trump called what happened to Velshi “the most beautiful thing”.
According to the US Press Freedom Tracker, 127 journalists were arrested or detained in 2020, compared with nine arrested or detained in 2019. Sahouri is one of 13 to face criminal charges.According to the US Press Freedom Tracker, 127 journalists were arrested or detained in 2020, compared with nine arrested or detained in 2019. Sahouri is one of 13 to face criminal charges.
Read more of Erum Salam’s report here: Case of reporter facing trial over BLM coverage seen as attack on press rightsRead more of Erum Salam’s report here: Case of reporter facing trial over BLM coverage seen as attack on press rights
Senator Lindsey Graham has defended his refusal to abandon Donald Trump in the aftermath of the deadly attack on the Capitol, saying that though the former president has “a dark side… what I’m trying to do is just harness the magic”.
He also said Trump’s continued grip on the Republican party could make it “bigger, he can make it stronger, he can make it more diverse. And he also could destroy it.”
The South Carolina Republican initially said the US could “count [him] out” from backing Trump after the riot but he quickly dropped any show of independence.
On Sunday he was speaking to Axios on HBO at the end of a weekend in which Trump was reported to have told the Republican party to stop fundraising off his name and was also reported to be preparing to leave Florida for the first time since leaving office, to visit New York, his home city.
Trump retains a firm grip on his party, topping polls of prospective nominees for president in 2024. He is eligible to run for office again because he was acquitted at his second impeachment trial, on a charge of inciting the Capitol riot.
Five people including a police officer died as a direct result of the storming of Congress by a crowd Trump had told to “fight like hell” in support of his attempt to overturn election defeat by Joe Biden. Graham was one of 43 Republicans who voted to acquit.
“Donald Trump was my friend before the riot,” he said, of a man who attacked him viciously in the 2016 Republican primary and who he famously said would destroy the party if he became its nominee. The senator pivoted once Trump took power, to become one of his closest and most eager allies.
“I’m trying to keep a relationship with him after the riot,” he said. “I still consider him a friend. What happened was a dark day in American history. And we’re going to move forward.”
Graham said the best way for Republicans to do that was “with Trump, not without Trump.”
In the interview, Axios’ Jonathan Swan countered that Trump is “still telling everyone he won in a landslide”, a lie repeatedly thrown out of court and which has placed the former president in legal jeopardy.
Former vice president Mike Pence is set to give his first speech since leaving office to a conservative Christian lobbying organisation in South Carolina.
A Pence aide told Associated Press that Pence will be the keynote speaker at a dinner hosted by the Palmetto Family Council on 29 April. The state’s contest is one of the earliest presidential primaries and therefore plays a crucial role in the Republican nomination process for 2024, making it a potentially significant choice of venue.
The Palmetto Family lobbies for what it considers to be “biblical values,” such as heterosexual marriage, and most recently helped push through a ban on most abortions in South Carolina.
Pence has long been considered a leader of the Republican Party’s religious right having long advocated for restrictions on abortion and has previously voiced support for the overturn of Roe v. Wade.
Dave Wilson, president of Palmetto Family Council, told Associated Press that he considered Pence a “prime person” to address the organisation due to the “level of faith” the former vice-president embodied while in office.
South Carolina cancelled their Republican primary in 2020, in a move that organisers said was intended to save the state’s taxpayers $1.2 million running an unnecessary primary “with no legitimate primary challenger” to then incumbent President Trump.
A national survey of Republican voters conducted by veteran Republican pollster Tony Fabrizio indicated that Pence and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis would be the current favourites for the Republican nomination were Trump to decide against a run in 2024.
With an eye on International Women’s Day, President Joe Biden is expected to sign two executive orders today which will set up a White House Gender Policy Council and will also attempt to address sexual violence in the education field. Jason Hoffman and Paul LeBlanc at CNN report:
Read more here: CNN – Biden to sign executive orders establishing Gender Policy Council and addressing sexual violence in education
21 women are being recognized today in the State department’s International Women of Courage Award, and first lady Dr. Jill Biden will be delivering remarks about them in a speech today, which the Associated Press has obtained in advance. She’s say:
There are 14 living awardees from Belarus, Cameroon, China, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guatemala, Iran, Myanmar, Nepal, Somalia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Turkey and Venezuela, reports Darlene Superville. Seven women from Afghanistan are receiving posthumous honors.
In the remarks, Dr. Biden is expected to to say that the pandemic shows “how the things that connect us — our love for family and friends, our hope that we will be together soon — transcend language and distance.” She says that diplomacy, “at its best, is a recognition of this connection” and that the United States, under President Joe Biden’s leadership, will support women around the world.
“We will make the choice to lead, to be bold and to lift up the women and girls everywhere who light our way,” Biden will say. “For 15 years, we have honored women around the world who have made the extraordinary choice to fight for something bigger than themselves.”
“Today, we recommit to being worthy of that courage, to understanding that our lives are tied together in immeasurable and powerful ways and to choosing, every day, to honor that connection,” she says. “We will stand with you as we build a brighter future for us all.”
We have this today from Eli Hager for The Marshall Project, on how the racial inequality in US youth detention is wider than ever:
White youths were being released from juvenile detention centers at a far higher rate than their Black peers during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic in the US, and more people of color are now being detained for longer than they were before the crisis, according to data gathered by a leading children’s philanthropic group.
So many kids were freed from jail last year that by late summer, fewer children were incarcerated than at any point since at least the 1980s. But many youth facilities are increasingly holding almost entirely Black and Latino populations of teens, according to interviews with more than a dozen juvenile justice officials and attorneys in seven states.
Though the racial inequality in youth detention has long been stark, it’s wider than ever, they say. Experts point to several possible explanations, including bias from judges and other officials, and young people of color being detained for more serious offenses and having fewer resources and alternatives to incarceration in their communities.
“It’s fitting that in 2020, the year that juxtaposed Covid and racial justice protests, we saw this shrinking of the system – but also a resistance to doing so for young Black people,” said Patricia Soung, a juvenile attorney and former director of youth justice policy for the Children’s Defense Fund in California.
By May 2020, detention centers were releasing white youths at a 17% higher rate than Black youths, according to a monthly survey of juvenile justice agencies in more than 30 states conducted by the Annie E Casey Foundation.
And in the months since, while the number of white youths has remained historically low, the number of Black and Latino youths has risen slightly, said Tom Woods, a senior associate and juvenile justice data analyst for the Casey Foundation.
The racial gap in detention is worsening even though teens, including those of color, were arrested less often in 2020, data shows. Police have generally taken a more hands-off approach due to the virus and, because classes have gone virtual, young people have interacted less with school-based officers.
Read more of Eli Hager’s report here: Racial inequality in US youth detention wider than ever, experts say
A quick foreign snap here from Reuters. The US mission in Saudi Arabia has condemned drone and missile attacks launched by Yemen’s Houthi movement on Saudi Arabia on Sunday, including at a facility vital to petroleum exports.
The mission, in an Arabic-language post on Twitter on Monday, said “the heinous Houthi assaults on civilians and vital infrastructure” demonstrated lack of respect for human life and disregard for peace efforts.
The process of the trial for the killing of George Floyd will start with jury selection. It could be a lengthy process, writes Amy Forliti of the Associated Press. Twelve Hennepin County residents will be picked after an extensive grilling about their views on police and the justice system.
Derek Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter in Floyd’s death. Picking a jury is expected to take at least three weeks, as prosecutors and defense attorneys try to weed out people who may be biased against them.
“You don’t want jurors who are completely blank slates, because that would mean they’re not in tune at all with the world,” Susan Gaertner, a former prosecutor, said. “But what you want is jurors who can set aside opinions that have formed prior to walking into the courtroom and give both sides a fair hearing.”
Floyd was killed last year after Chauvin, who is white, pressed his knee against Floyd’s neck for about nine minutes. His death sparked Black Lives Matter protests in Minneapolis and beyond, and led to a nationwide reckoning on race. Chauvin and three other officers were fired; the others face an August trial on aiding and abetting charges.
Chauvin’s attorney, Eric Nelson, argued that pretrial publicity of the case and the subsequent violent unrest in Minneapolis would make it impossible to find an impartial jury in Hennepin County. But Judge Peter Cahill said last year that moving the trial probably wouldn’t cure the problem of a potentially tainted jury pool because “no corner of the State of Minnesota” has been shielded from pretrial publicity.
The potential jurors were sent questionnaires to determine how much they have heard about the case and whether they’ve formed any opinions. Besides biographical and demographic information, jurors were asked about prior contacts with police, whether they have protested against police brutality and whether they believe the justice system is fair. Some of the questions get very specific, such as how often a potential juror has watched the bystander video of Floyd’s arrest, or whether they carried a sign at a protest and what that sign said.
Unlike typical jury selection proceedings, this jury pool will be questioned one by one instead of in a group. The judge, defense attorney and prosecutors will all get to ask questions. The defense can object to up to 15 potential jurors without giving a reason; prosecutors can block up to nine with no reason given. Both sides can also argue to dismiss an unlimited number of jurors “for cause,” meaning they must provide a reason why they believe that juror shouldn’t serve.
Even if a juror says they have had a negative interaction with the police, or a negative opinion about Black Lives Matter, the key will be trying to find out whether they can put those past experiences or opinions aside and be fair.
Opening arguments are not expected until 29 March at the earliest.
Darryl Fears and Jared Goyette are covering the developments in the trial of Derek Chauvin for the Washington Post, and here’s how they reported yesterday’s silent protest in Minneapolis.
As part of the demonstration yesterday, there was a long roll-call of the dead:
Read more here: Washington Post – A silent march and symbolic coffin on the eve of the trial in George Floyd’s killing
Amudalat Ajasa and Jackie Renzetti report for us from Minneapolis this morning:
Minneapolis and its adjacent “twin city” St Paul, followed by cities and towns all across the United States and overseas burst into civil rights protest last May, where millions demanded radical change after a video went viral showing a cop kneeling on Floyd’s neck for eight minutes and forty-six seconds as he begged, in vain, for his life.
The since-fired officer, Derek Chauvin, who is white, is charged with second degree murder and second degree manslaughter and has been in hiding while out on bail.
Three other, also now-ex, officers charged with aiding and abetting stand trial together in August.
“I feel kind of scared that we won’t see [what] we want to see. And we’ll be in the streets, like we were the whole summer,” said Zarieah Graves, an activist in Minneapolis.
If the officers are acquitted, or convicted but lightly punished “we are going to be upset,” Graves added.
When Floyd, 46, a father from Houston who moved to Minneapolis for work, was killed his name joined that of Jamar Clark, Philando Castile and many others less well known.
More than 200 people have suffered police-involved deaths in Minnesota in the last 20 years, a database compiled by the Minneapolis Star Tribune calculated. While only 7% of Minnesotans are Black they accounted for 26% of those deaths.
“That’s what people need to know is that there are hundreds of George Floyds out there in the state of Minnesota alone, that people just don’t seem to know anything about,” Toshira Garraway told the Guardian.
Garraway started the activist group Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence when Justin Teigen, her fiancé and the father of her child, ended up suffocated in a recycling truck after he fled from a police stop in St Paul in 2009 and was pursued, with the authorities and the family disagreeing over how he came to meet his death.
But only one Minnesota police officer has been convicted of murder – Mohamed Noor, who shot dead Australian life coach Justine Damond after she called police saying she had witnessed an assault in 2017. Damond was white and Noor is Somali American.
“Why is it that only the white woman got true justice?” Garraway asked.
Read more here: George Floyd killing – Minneapolis on edge again as historic trial set to begin
Welcome to our live coverage of US politics for Monday. Here’s a catch-up on where we are and what we can expect from today:
One of the most significant police trials in US history begins today as the former officer who killed George Floyd stands trial. The since-fired officer, Derek Chauvin, who is white, is charged with second degree murder and second degree manslaughter, and has been in hiding while out on bail.
Yesterday members of Floyd’s family took part in a silent march through downtown Minneapolis, carrying a symbolic empty casket.
Andrew Cuomo suffered a major blow on Sunday in his attempt to stay as governor of New York. The majority leader of the state senate and the speaker of the assembly, two of the most powerful Democrats in New York, said it was time for Cuomo to go. He is facing accusations of sexual harassment and a scandal over Covid deaths in nursing homes.
President Joe Biden will be visiting the Washington DC Veterans Affairs Medical Center that is administering Covid vaccines. He’ll be accompanied by Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough.
At least 58.9 million adults have now received at least one vaccine shot in the US.
Yesterday one of the most powerful Democrats in Washington – Jim Clyburn – issued a frank warning to members of his own party, saying they need to find a way to pass major voting rights legislation or they will lose control of Congress.
It is International Women’s Day today, and president Joe Biden and vice president Kamala Harris will be joined by defense secretary Lloyd J Austin III at 4.20pm (2120 GMT) to make remarks marking the occasion.
Jen Psaki’s 11.30am press briefing will also feature the same theme, and she will be joined by co-chairs of the gender policy council Julissa Reynoso and Jennifer Klein. There’s a coronavirus press briefing at 11am as well.