Memphis Police Fired & Splash Mountain Souvenirs
January 27, 2023
Murder & Misconduct In Memphis
On Thursday, five fired Memphis policemen were charged with the murder of Tyre Nichols, a Black man who died following a confrontation with the officers. The former officers are having the book thrown at them, each facing charges of second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct, and official oppression.
Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci, the attorney for Nichols’ family, said Nichols had “lost his life in a particularly disgusting manner that points to the desperate need for change and reform to ensure this violence stops occurring during low-threat procedures, like in this case, a traffic stop.” Nichols passed away three days after the incident – his relatives claim he died of a heart attack and kidney failure, but authorities have only stated that he’d experienced a medical emergency
Bodycam footage of the incident is set to be released later today, though it’s likely to be something you don’t want to watch. Memphis Police Department’s response to the incident has been strangely quick and harsh for a police department in a country where police are rarely punished.
Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said that though the police played different roles in Nichols’ death, “they are all responsible.” The director of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, David Rausch, also spoke at a press conference, where he said, “Let me be clear: What happened here does not at all reflect proper policing. This was wrong. This was criminal.” Memphis Police Director Cerelyn “CJ” Davis even chimed in via video statement, saying, “This is not just a professional failing. This is a failing of basic humanity toward another individual.”
A wider investigation into other Memphis officers is still ongoing. More police officers are being investigated for violating department policy, and two fire department workers were also removed from duty in relation to Nichols’ arrest and death.
Good News
- Ukraine’s Odesa designated Unesco World Heritage site (BBC)
- Archaeologist hails possibly oldest mummy yet found in Egypt (Guardian)
- Bill Gates backs new startup aiming to reduce emissions from cow burps (Guardian)
Pushing Palestinian Patience
- On Thursday, 10 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank. The deaths occurred in two separate events, which were part of a larger raid on the Jenin refugee camp. The first incident – the bloodiest the West Bank has seen in almost 20 years – saw Israeli forces kill nine Palestinians, including seven militants and a 61-year-old woman; in the second shooting, a 22-year-old Palestinian was killed by Israeli troops.
- In response to the raid, Palestinian leaders announced they would cut security ties with Israel, which could lead to further violence. Normally, the Palestinian Authority (PA) maintains military ties with Israel aimed at containing Islamic militants, providing the organization with financial and diplomatic benefits. The end of that cooperation could lead to a rise in militant groups and Israeli raids, which might push Palestine and Israel further apart.
- While the PA supposedly controls the Jenin camp, the group has increasingly lost power over the camp and other areas, which have come under militant control. Israel claims that it raided Jenin to dismantle militant networks, though the raids also included tear gas canisters being fired at a pediatric ward and the destruction of a two-story building, on top of the deaths of multiple bystanders. Hamas has threatened revenge for the raid, and Israeli forces are on high alert.
The IS Isn’t OK
- According to U.S. officials, a U.S. military strike killed a top Islamic State (IS) leader in Somalia on Wednesday. The leader, Bilal al-Sudani, was a key figure in the IS’s rise in Africa, as well as its funding further abroad. 10 other IS members were killed in the strike, and there were no American casualties.
- “Al-Sudani was responsible for fostering the growing presence of ISIS in Africa and for funding the group’s operations worldwide, including in Afghanistan,” said Lloyd Austin, the U.S.’s Secretary of Defense, in a release on Thursday. “Sudani had a key operational and financial role with specialized skills which made him an important target for US counterterrorism action,” he added.
- The strike was initially intended to end with al-Sudani’s capture, but “the hostile forces’ response to the operation resulted in his death”, said another official. The only hiccup in the raid for the Americans was a single injury, caused by a U.S. military dog biting a fellow servicemember.
Additional World News
- Ji Chaoqun: Chinese engineer jailed for eight years for spying in US (BBC)
- Bolsonaro backers in Florida decry what they see as a stolen election in Brazil (NPR)
- Germany apologizes for leopard jibe that upset some Africans (AP)
- Machete attacks at Spanish churches leave one dead and four wounded (Guardian)
- Opium production in Myanmar surges to nine-year high (BBC)
- EU ministers pledge visa restrictions to increase migrant returns (Politico)
- Panel seeks to allow re-exports of Swiss weaponry to Ukraine (AP)
“The only reason for time is so that everything doesn’t happen at once.” – Albert Einstein
RN-See Our Internal Conflict
- Members of the Republican National Committee will elect a leader today, and the selection is sure to be a contentious one. The “red wave” Republicans expected in the midterms was more of a “splash,” and the Speaker of the House votes didn’t exactly inspire confidence in the party’s ability to unify.
- Current chairwoman Ronna McDaniel has held her position for three terms already, and while some would like to see consistency, others are thinking a shake-up might be just what the party needs. Harmeet Dhillon, one of Trump’s lawyers, and My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell are her two competitors for the position.
- 168 members of the RNC have traveled from across the country to a seaside resort in Southern California to vote in a secret ballot. The position is still important, helping to decide aspects of both the debates and presidential primaries. This marks the first competitive run for the position in about 10 years. (Politico)
The Grand Old Party Of Regressive Tax Policy
- You may have heard rumblings about the Fair Tax Act, a plan from a group of House Republicans that would do away with most federal taxes – and the IRS – and replace them with a federal sales tax. Experts say the plan would deliver a tough blow to working families and give wealthy Americans a cushy break.
- HR25 would replace all individual and corporate income taxes, capital gains, payroll taxes, and estate taxes with a 23% sales tax on all goods and services in the country, so Americans would end up paying close to 30% more for everyday purchases. Lower-income families would see less of a burden thanks to a “prebate,” but the biggest winners of the system would be – you guessed it – the wealthy. (CBS)
Additional USA News
- National Archives asks former presidents and vice presidents to check for classified and presidential documents (CNN)
- Economy grows, even as U.S. braces for recession (Politico)
- Court orders the release of video capturing the attack on Paul Pelosi at his San Francisco home (CNN)
- ACA sign-ups soar to record 16.3 million for 2023 (CNN)
- Yellen welcomes South Africa’s energy transition, steers clear of Russia mention (Reuters)
- Nearly 27% of Louisiana state inmates are held beyond release dates, US Justice Department says (CNN)
- Social media platforms face pressure to stop online drug dealers who target kids (NPR)
One Last Splash
- An icon of American vacations has taken its last ride. Splash Mountain, one of Disney World’s most enduringly popular attractions, shut down on Sunday after serving generations of thrill seekers for the last 30 years. Luckily for any die-hard Disney fans, the Internet has provided a way to keep a piece of the ride close to your heart – people are now selling containers of water taken from the ride, with prices ranging from under $10 dollars to over $100.
- “The Disney community can be very weird sometimes,” said Adrian Vasquez, who’s ridden one of Splash Mountain’s famous logs at least 200 times. “I honestly don’t know how else to put it.” The cheapest listing for Splash Mountain water was a $7.99 reusable water bottle filled with 10 ounces of the stuff, while the most expensive was more aesthetically presented – four ounces of water in a nice Mason jar, which sold for $149.95. At least shipping was free for that one.
- The Splash Mountain in Anaheim’s Disneyland is also set to take its last plunge later this year. Both rides are currently inspired by “Song of the South,” which has long been criticized for racism that was even acknowledged by Disney’s refusal to put it on their streaming platform. The rides will be redecorated and renamed to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, inspired by Disney’s 2009 take on “The Princess and the Frog.” Some Splash Mountain superfans lined up for five hours at Disney World, cheering as their favorite plastic logs took their last ride off into the sunset.
Additional Reads
- Crowdfunded DNA test identifies woman found dead in the desert in 1971 (WaPo, $)
- Boeing faces a criminal charge of fraud related to deadly 737 Max crashes (NPR)
- World’s oldest person on the keys to longevity: ‘stay away from toxic people’ (Guardian)
- Fossils reveal the mysterious primate relatives that lived in the ancient Arctic (CNN)
- Archaeologists uncover golden secret inside mouth of 17th-century socialite “who did not have a good reputation” (CBS)
- FDA declines to regulate CBD; calls on Congress for fix (AP)
- Why “Thanks Pfizer” Memes Are Going Viral (BuzzFeed)