Timeshare Settlement

SAN DIEGO — Welk Resorts will pay up to $ 5.5 million to settle a consumer protection suit alleging it @ @ @ @ @ timeshare in its Platinum Program , the San Diego County District Attorney ’ s office @ @ @ @ @ led to believe they were buying real estate , that the value of their investment @ @ @ @ @ could easily access vacation spots on high-demand dates .

The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.


courthousenews--2020-06-04--Senate Confirms Nominee to Texas Federal Court

WASHINGTON ( CN ) — The Senate on Wednesday confirmed a partner at a Houston law firm to a seat on a federal court in Texas .
Drew Tipton has worked in the Houston office of the firm BakerHostetler since 1999 and currently leads the office ’ s employment and labor practice .
Tipton will now serve on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas after being confirmed by the Senate 52-41 on Wednesday afternoon .
Before joining the firm , Tipton worked at the Victoria , Texas firm Houston , Marek & Griffin , and clerked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ District of Texas after graduating from the South Texas College of Law .
A sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps Forces Reserve , Tipton was a member of the Republican National Lawyers Association from 2002 until 2008 and is a member of the conservative Federalist Society .
In one case that drew scrutiny from Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee , Tipton represented a food services company that faced a lawsuit from an employee with an intellectual disability who was sexually assaulted by a coworker in a stadium bathroom during the Houston Livestock @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work on the case , which ultimately settled , to the committee , Tipton said the facts were “ heartbreaking , ” but that it involved significantly complicated questions of Texas employment law .
He acknowledged there are “ certain steps employers should take ” to protect against sexual harassment .
Tipton also faced questions about his representation of an oil field services company from an employment discrimination lawsuit a former employee filed after two drunk coworkers shot at him .
The employee claimed he had complained co-workers directed death threats and racial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the company .
Early one morning , as the employee leaving town for the weekend , his coworkers , who had been drinking heavily , followed him and shot at his truck with a shotgun .
In urging the court to grant summary judgment to his client , Tipton argued the employees who shot at the plaintiff were not “ acting within the course and scope of their employment ” when firing the shots .
The court eventually sided with Tipton ’ s client .

Senate Confirms Nominee to Texas Federal Court
WASHINGTON (CN) — The Senate on Wednesday confirmed a partner at a Houston law firm to a seat on a federal court in Texas.
Drew Tipton has worked in the Houston office of the firm BakerHostetler since 1999 and currently leads the office’s employment and labor practice. Tipton will now serve on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas after being confirmed by the Senate 52-41 on Wednesday afternoon.
Before joining the firm, Tipton worked at the Victoria, Texas firm Houston, Marek & Griffin, and clerked for Judge John Rainey in the Southern District of Texas after graduating from the South Texas College of Law.
A sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps Forces Reserve, Tipton was a member of the Republican National Lawyers Association from 2002 until 2008 and is a member of the conservative Federalist Society.
In one case that drew scrutiny from Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Tipton represented a food services company that faced a lawsuit from an employee with an intellectual disability who was sexually assaulted by a coworker in a stadium bathroom during the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
In explaining his work on the case, which ultimately settled, to the committee, Tipton said the facts were “heartbreaking,” but that it involved significantly complicated questions of Texas employment law. He acknowledged there are “certain steps employers should take” to protect against sexual harassment.
Tipton also faced questions about his representation of an oil field services company from an employment discrimination lawsuit a former employee filed after two drunk coworkers shot at him.
The employee claimed he had complained co-workers directed death threats and racial slurs towards him, with no response from the company. Early one morning, as the employee leaving town for the weekend, his coworkers, who had been drinking heavily, followed him and shot at his truck with a shotgun.
In urging the court to grant summary judgment to his client, Tipton argued the employees who shot at the plaintiff were not “acting within the course and scope of their employment” when firing the shots. The court eventually sided with Tipton’s client.


courthousenews--2020-06-04--Senate Raises Cap on Covid Help for Small Businesses

WASHINGTON ( CN ) — The Senate on Wednesday passed a bill adding greater flexibility to a federal small business loan program aimed at helping businesses struggling amid the coronavirus pandemic .
The Senate unanimously passed the bill on Wednesday night , less than a week after the Democrat-controlled House overwhelmingly approved the measure .
President Donald Trump is expected to sign the legislation .
The bill would make changes to the Paycheck Protection Program , a key piece of the $ 2.2 trillion Cares Act that became law at the end of March .
The program allows small businesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forgiven if they use the money to cover payroll , rent and certain other expenses .
The changes approved make it so businesses can spend the money over a longer period and raises a cap on how much of the loan money a business can spend on expenses other than payroll while still being eligible for forgiveness .
Under the original legislation , businesses had to spend the loan money within eight weeks , but the new legislation increases that to 24 weeks .
The new bill also gives businesses until the end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still be able to have their loan forgiven .
Businesses had been facing a June 30 deadline to rehire employees .
Lawmakers who pushed the changes said the additional flexibility is especially critical for restaurants and similar businesses as they endure continued state-ordered closures and capacity restrictions that make it difficult for them to operate as they normally would .
The bill ’ s fate had been uncertain earlier in the day , with Republican senators standing in the way of speedy passage .
Senator Ron Johnson , a Wisconsin Republican who has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as giving money to businesses that do not need it , objected when Senate Democrats tried to pass it unanimously earlier in the day .
Johnson explained he was worried about extending the program further without additional reforms , including measures that would ensure the loans go only to businesses that need the money .
“ My only objection is we should not extend this authorization without significant reforms that I hope my colleagues would all agree with , ” Johnson said .
But shortly after 7 p.m. , Senate Majority Leader Mitch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without objection , sending it on its way to the White House .
“ The Senate delivered for workers and small businesses when we first passed the Cares Act , ” McConnell said on the Senate floor .
“ We delivered again when we added more money to this popular program back in April , and we ’ re delivering again today.
” McConnell said lawmakers are also eying additional tweaks that the Senate could soon take up .
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said he and Senator Ben Cardin , the top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Business and Entrepreneurship , talked with Johnson throughout the week to work out the Wisconsin Republican ’ s concerns about the legislation .
“ This is an improvement that is much needed and comes at the last minute , but not too late , ” Schumer said on the Senate floor .

WASHINGTON (CN) — The Senate on Wednesday passed a bill adding greater flexibility to a federal small business loan program aimed at helping businesses struggling amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The Senate unanimously passed the bill on Wednesday night, less than a week after the Democrat-controlled House overwhelmingly approved the measure. President Donald Trump is expected to sign the legislation.
The bill would make changes to the Paycheck Protection Program, a key piece of the $2.2 trillion Cares Act that became law at the end of March. The program allows small businesses to take out loans that can be forgiven if they use the money to cover payroll, rent and certain other expenses.
The changes approved make it so businesses can spend the money over a longer period and raises a cap on how much of the loan money a business can spend on expenses other than payroll while still being eligible for forgiveness.
Under the original legislation, businesses had to spend the loan money within eight weeks, but the new legislation increases that to 24 weeks. The new bill also gives businesses until the end of the year to rehire employees and still be able to have their loan forgiven. Businesses had been facing a June 30 deadline to rehire employees.
Lawmakers who pushed the changes said the additional flexibility is especially critical for restaurants and similar businesses as they endure continued state-ordered closures and capacity restrictions that make it difficult for them to operate as they normally would.
The bill’s fate had been uncertain earlier in the day, with Republican senators standing in the way of speedy passage. Senator Ron Johnson, a Wisconsin Republican who has publicly criticized the bill in the past as giving money to businesses that do not need it, objected when Senate Democrats tried to pass it unanimously earlier in the day.
Johnson explained he was worried about extending the program further without additional reforms, including measures that would ensure the loans go only to businesses that need the money.
“My only objection is we should not extend this authorization without significant reforms that I hope my colleagues would all agree with,” Johnson said.
But shortly after 7 p.m., Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was able to approve the legislation without objection, sending it on its way to the White House.
“The Senate delivered for workers and small businesses when we first passed the Cares Act,” McConnell said on the Senate floor. “We delivered again when we added more money to this popular program back in April, and we’re delivering again today.”
McConnell said lawmakers are also eying additional tweaks that the Senate could soon take up.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said he and Senator Ben Cardin, the top Democrat on the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, talked with Johnson throughout the week to work out the Wisconsin Republican’s concerns about the legislation.
“This is an improvement that is much needed and comes at the last minute, but not too late,” Schumer said on the Senate floor.


High-Stakes Card Games

SACRAMENTO — High-stakes card players who claim a player routinely cheated during games broadcast online can not pursue their suit @ @ @ @ @ of its employees , a federal court in California ruled .
The plaintiffs claimed the @ @ @ @ @ single largest known cheating scandal in the history of broadcast poker .
”


Ballot-Access Requirements

ATLANTA — The Eleventh Circuit remanded the Libertarian Party of Georgia ’ s suit over the state ’ s ballot-access @ @ @ @ @ candidates , finding the lower court improperly failed to conduct an Anderson test — the @ @ @ @ @ for the constitutionality of such requirements — when it ruled in favor of the Secretary @ @ @


Tort Judgment

SAN ANTONIO — An appeals court in Texas reversed a $ 706 million verdict — the largest tort judgment in @ @ @ @ @ in favor of real estate analytics company HouseCanary , which sued real estate services firm @ @ @ @ @ secrets and fraud .


courthousenews--2020-06-04--‘People Are Tired’: DC Protesters Vow to Keep Fighting Police Brutality

For many converging on the nation ’ s capital to protest the killing of George Floyd by a white police officer , the demonstrations of the last week are only the beginning of their fight on systemic racism among law enforcement and in the nation .
WASHINGTON — Anya Colone watched the number of demonstrators grow in front of the White House all weekend from her home in Albany , New York .
On Monday , she got in her car and drove 5 ½ hours to participate in the District ’ s ongoing protests — promising her family she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ p.m. curfew .
“ I couldn ’ t sit at home and watch , when I heard that man yell for his mother , ” Colone said in an interview , referring to George Floyd , a 46-year-old black man detained by Minneapolis police over Memorial Day weekend following a complaint that he had passed a counterfeit $ 20 bill .
In a video , Minnesota police officer Derek Chauvin can be seen with his knee pressed against Floyd ’ s throat for over nine minutes before he asphyxiated , according to Hennepin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chauvin now faces charges of second-degree murder .
Colone , surrounded by throngs of protesters young and old , said she was scared to come to Washington at first .
But when she arrived , she saw peaceful people .
When she marched , she even witnessed police giving demonstrators water at times — an exchange that was common among protesters who passed out masks , hand sanitizer , snacks and water at nearly every intersection that overflowed downtown .
“ I ’ m not sitting here thinking every cop is a thug @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thugs .
What I see here brings me to tears , ” she said .
Colone was one of the people hit with tear gas Monday after President Donald Trump — swarmed by members of the Secret Service — ordered peaceful protesters cleared from Lafayette Square .
The president posed with a Bible in front of St. John ’ s Church for a photo op , after reports of a fire in the historic building ’ s basement .
What followed for Colone was a night filled with flashbang grenades and a Blackhawk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ branches .
A state employee in New York , Colone emphasized that the “ riots don ’ t start until they come at us.
” “ I ’ ve never been so scared , ” she said , describing a man who took rubber bullets to the gut , leaving him with raised welts .
“ Attacking these young people — it ’ s not OK. ” And delivering remote remarks Wednesday , former President Barack Obama spoke to that fear .
Demonstrators and those voicing outrage at systemic racism have been unjustly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he said , noting the lingering effects of the Jim Crow era , slavery and their outflows like redlining — the practice of refusing loans to someone based on their socioeconomic status .
These things “ too often had been a plague and original sin of our society , ” Obama said .
Elizabeth Wyatt , a 28-year-old black woman originally from Hampton , Virginia , now lives and works as a public defender in D.C .
Standing before a line of over 25 law enforcement officers forming a perimeter near the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delivered passionate remarks to a crowd of over 200 that they should no longer “ take this sitting down.
” Floyd ’ s death at the hands of Chauvin is a tragedy that is all too common , she said .
“ George Floyd happens every single day , there ’ s just no video of it , ” Wyatt said .
“ I think anybody with a heart that has seen that video is traumatized and scared and that ’ s why we ’ re here .
Just to bring change .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the streets of Washington every day , she added .
This is part of the prescription Obama offered Wednesday .
For the ambitions of national police reform underpinning this latest movement to be realized , they must be transformed into policy .
“ Reform has to take place in more than 19,000 municipalities and 18,000 local enforcement jurisdictions .
So as everyday citizens raise their voices , we have to be clear about where change is going to happen , ” Obama said .
It will be up to mayors , county @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The bottom line is : I ’ ve been hearing a little bit of chatter online about voting versus protest , politics versus policy , ” Obama said .
“ This is not an ‘ either or.
’ This is a ‘ both and ’ to bring about real change .
We have to highlight a problem and make people in power uncomfortable , but we also have to translate that into laws.
” Wyatt echoed those sentiments as the sun beat down on her Wednesday .
“ It ’ s going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attention , getting them to realize we ’ re not backing down .
This isn ’ t just a hashtag .
We ’ re not just going to protest for two days , they make an arrest and we go home , ” she said .
Her work as a public defender exposes her constantly to inequities in a system that is supposed to protect her and other people ’ s rights .
“ It ’ s going to start small with police chiefs saying ‘ enough is enough ’ and hopefully it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it has to start with individual police forces showing they can make a difference , ” she said .
That would require significant efforts at transparency , something in short supply Wednesday from officers manning barricades who declined to tell Courthouse News which agency they represented or who ordered them there beyond a generic response of “ the Department of Justice.
” Around noon , nearly 25 law enforcement officers wearing various uniforms had already formed a perimeter around Lafayette Square , adjacent to the Department of Veterans Affairs building .
Some officers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ insignia under bulletproof vests — an acronym for the Federal Corrections Complex in Texas .
Other uniforms featured federal corrections insignia but where the agents hailed from was unclear .
As protesters gathered in number throughout the day , the cadre from over five different federal agencies — including Federal Protective Services , the Department of Homeland Security , the Bureau of Prisons , the Secret Service , the FBI , the U.S. Park Police and the Army ’ s 82nd Airborne Division — continued to grow in size .
Civil unrest in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has not gone unnoticed by federal lawmakers .
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer , D-N.Y. , tried and failed to condemn the president ’ s “ go ahead ” to gas peaceful protestors .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. , blocked the resolution .
But plans for legislation centering on the issues that prompted national protest are forthcoming , like a bill by Rep. Hakeem Jeffries , D-N.Y. , who reintroduced a bill that had lacked momentum .
The bill — which first gained traction after Eric Garner was suffocated by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would ban police officers ’ use of chokeholds .
“ We ’ re tired , we ’ ve been watching for 400 years .
First of all , black Americans didn ’ t ask to come here .
We were taken from our families and brought here and thrown into slavery and a system meant to oppress us .
It was never meant to help us .
In 400 years , we ’ ve seen it happen over and over and over and over again .
We ’ re tired .
People are @ @ @ @ @ @

For many converging on the nation's capital to protest the killing of George Floyd by a white police officer, the demonstrations of the last week are only the beginning of their fight on systemic racism among law enforcement and in the nation.
WASHINGTON — Anya Colone watched the number of demonstrators grow in front of the White House all weekend from her home in Albany, New York. On Monday, she got in her car and drove 5 ½ hours to participate in the District’s ongoing protests — promising her family she wouldn’t stay past the 7 p.m. curfew.
“I couldn’t sit at home and watch, when I heard that man yell for his mother,” Colone said in an interview, referring to George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man detained by Minneapolis police over Memorial Day weekend following a complaint that he had passed a counterfeit $20 bill.
In a video, Minnesota police officer Derek Chauvin can be seen with his knee pressed against Floyd’s throat for over nine minutes before he asphyxiated, according to Hennepin County medical examiner’s report. Chauvin now faces charges of second-degree murder.
Colone, surrounded by throngs of protesters young and old, said she was scared to come to Washington at first. But when she arrived, she saw peaceful people.
When she marched, she even witnessed police giving demonstrators water at times — an exchange that was common among protesters who passed out masks, hand sanitizer, snacks and water at nearly every intersection that overflowed downtown.
“I’m not sitting here thinking every cop is a thug just like we’re not all thugs. What I see here brings me to tears,” she said.
Anya Colone, right, holds a sign with names of multiple African Americans who have died in the custody of police, at 16th & I St., NW, Wednesday. (Courthouse News photo / Brandi Buchman & Jack Rodgers)
Colone was one of the people hit with tear gas Monday after President Donald Trump — swarmed by members of the Secret Service — ordered peaceful protesters cleared from Lafayette Square. The president posed with a Bible in front of St. John’s Church for a photo op, after reports of a fire in the historic building’s basement.
What followed for Colone was a night filled with flashbang grenades and a Blackhawk helicopter flying low enough to dislodge tree branches. A state employee in New York, Colone emphasized that the “riots don’t start until they come at us.”
“I’ve never been so scared,” she said, describing a man who took rubber bullets to the gut, leaving him with raised welts. “Attacking these young people — it’s not OK.”
And delivering remote remarks Wednesday, former President Barack Obama spoke to that fear.
Demonstrators and those voicing outrage at systemic racism have been unjustly subjected to the prejudice for too long, he said, noting the lingering effects of the Jim Crow era, slavery and their outflows like redlining — the practice of refusing loans to someone based on their socioeconomic status.
These things “too often had been a plague and original sin of our society,” Obama said.
Two protesters display their signs on Pennsylvania Avenue Wednesday, as demonstrators marched through the Capitol. (Courthouse News photo / Brandi Buchman & Jack Rodgers)
Elizabeth Wyatt, a 28-year-old black woman originally from Hampton, Virginia, now lives and works as a public defender in D.C.
Standing before a line of over 25 law enforcement officers forming a perimeter near the Department of Veterans Affairs building, she delivered passionate remarks to a crowd of over 200 that they should no longer “take this sitting down.”
Floyd’s death at the hands of Chauvin is a tragedy that is all too common, she said.
“George Floyd happens every single day, there’s just no video of it,” Wyatt said. “I think anybody with a heart that has seen that video is traumatized and scared and that’s why we’re here. Just to bring change. Try to.”
And she will come to the streets of Washington every day, she added.
This is part of the prescription Obama offered Wednesday. For the ambitions of national police reform underpinning this latest movement to be realized, they must be transformed into policy.
“Reform has to take place in more than 19,000 municipalities and 18,000 local enforcement jurisdictions. So as everyday citizens raise their voices, we have to be clear about where change is going to happen,” Obama said.
It will be up to mayors, county executives, district and state attorneys.
“The bottom line is: I’ve been hearing a little bit of chatter online about voting versus protest, politics versus policy,” Obama said. “This is not an ‘either or.’ This is a ‘both and’ to bring about real change. We have to highlight a problem and make people in power uncomfortable, but we also have to translate that into laws.”
Wyatt echoed those sentiments as the sun beat down on her Wednesday.
“It’s going to start with individual police getting their attention, getting them to realize we’re not backing down. This isn’t just a hashtag. We’re not just going to protest for two days, they make an arrest and we go home,” she said.
Her work as a public defender exposes her constantly to inequities in a system that is supposed to protect her and other people’s rights.
“It’s going to start small with police chiefs saying ‘enough is enough’ and hopefully it will build up to Congress, but it has to start with individual police forces showing they can make a difference,” she said.
That would require significant efforts at transparency, something in short supply Wednesday from officers manning barricades who declined to tell Courthouse News which agency they represented or who ordered them there beyond a generic response of “the Department of Justice.”
Around noon, nearly 25 law enforcement officers wearing various uniforms had already formed a perimeter around Lafayette Square, adjacent to the Department of Veterans Affairs building. Some officers' shirts displayed “FCC Beaumont” insignia under bulletproof vests — an acronym for the Federal Corrections Complex in Texas.
Officers hailing from a variety of federal agencies including the Bureau of Prisons, Department of Homeland Security, Federal Protective Services, the Secret Service and the U.S. Park Police were shipped to Washington as mostly peaceful protests gripped the city. (Courthouse News photo / Brandi Buchman & Jack Rodgers)
An officer barricading the White House dons insignia from a federal correctional facility in Texas, some 1,300 miles away from Washington. (Courthouse News photo / Brandi Buchman & Jack Rodgers)
An officer barricading the White House wears a uniform bearing the Federal Corrections Institute Three Rivers facility in Texas. (Courthouse News photo / Brandi Buchman & Jack Rodgers)
Other uniforms featured federal corrections insignia but where the agents hailed from was unclear. As protesters gathered in number throughout the day, the cadre from over five different federal agencies — including Federal Protective Services, the Department of Homeland Security, the Bureau of Prisons, the Secret Service, the FBI, the U.S. Park Police and the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division — continued to grow in size.
Civil unrest in over 140 American cities spanning eight days has not gone unnoticed by federal lawmakers. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., tried and failed to condemn the president’s “go ahead” to gas peaceful protestors. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., blocked the resolution.
But plans for legislation centering on the issues that prompted national protest are forthcoming, like a bill by Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., who reintroduced a bill that had lacked momentum. The bill — which first gained traction after Eric Garner was suffocated by an NYPD police officer in 2015 — would ban police officers’ use of chokeholds.
“We’re tired, we’ve been watching for 400 years. First of all, black Americans didn’t ask to come here. We were taken from our families and brought here and thrown into slavery and a system meant to oppress us. It was never meant to help us. In 400 years, we’ve seen it happen over and over and over and over again. We’re tired. People are tired,” Wyatt said.


Champerty

ST. PAUL , Minn. — The Minnesota Supreme Court abolished the state ’ s common law prohibition against champerty , @ @ @ @ @ a claim and a party unrelated to the lawsuit but who supports it agree to @ @ @ @ @ rules of professional responsibility and civil procedures “ address the abuses of the legal process @ @ @ @ @ .
”


Sign Here

BISMARCK , N.D. — A federal judge on Wednesday barred North Dakota elections officials from rejecting any ballots in the @ @ @ @ @ , finding the state doesn ’ t do enough to allow voters to cure such @ @ @ @ @ tossed out as invalid .


courthousenews--2020-06-03--Streets Calm, for Now, on Sixth Day of Protests in Southeast

( CN ) — Protests continued in Charlotte and Atlanta for the sixth consecutive day Wednesday afternoon as demonstrators peacefully gathered to march against police violence and racism in the wake of the deaths of George Floyd in Minnesota and Breonna Taylor in Kentucky .
In Atlanta , a group of about 100 protestors gathered outside the southern end of Centennial Olympic Park as members of the National Guard watched from inside the public park .
The crowd was energized , chanting “ vote ” and “ hands up , don ’ t shoot ” while waving signs at passing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Although the protesters showed no sign of aggression , reminders of violent protests earlier in the week surrounded the park .
Several nearby restaurants have covered their windows with plywood .
Less than a block away , barricades remain in front of CNN headquarters , where protesters smashed windows and vandalized the building Friday evening .
Military vehicles were parked along the street close by .
Natalia Tureta , 21 , said she was more worried about violence from police than anything else Wednesday , telling Courthouse News that aggression from authorities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terrified ” her .
“ I ’ ve never felt that much fear in my life , ever , ” Tureta said .
She was concerned that police might lash out against protesters again .
“ Later on tonight , it ’ s not going to be [ calm ] like this at all… It ’ s just so terrifying , the change of attitude [ the police ] have when people start to get really passionate , ” she said .
“ The energy for us doesn ’ t change .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re afraid of a bigger crowd , they need to have ways to deal with it better than taunting us with tear gas and rubber bullets.
” Footage of Atlanta police officers assaulting two black college students Saturday night sparked outrage around the country this week after it went viral .
Six officers were charged Tuesday with using excessive force against 20-year-old Taniya Pilgrim and 22-year-old Messiah Young , who were dragged from their car and shocked with Tasers .
Two of the officers have been fired .
Whitlei Neal , a 30-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actions “ obscene ” but said she thinks Atlanta ’ s police force “ has done very well , compared to other large city police organizations.
” Also outside the park , film industry professionals Mekkah Nycole , Shy Day and Joshua Gilyard had set up a small table to hand out voting information , bail fund fliers , snacks , water and first aid supplies .
Gilyard said after three days of marching in protests , they realized they wanted to expand their activism and help “ make sure [ people ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this because there ’ s a long time before the November general election.
” “ We want to make sure people stay informed because the anger is good but we ’ ve got to make sure that people go to the next step and get educated , ” he said .
“ This is important , but it ’ s also important for us to show up at the polls.
” Peaceful protesters also began to assemble in Charlotte , North Carolina , on Wednesday afternoon for the sixth day of demonstrations there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which garnered thousands of supporters and have been nonviolent , appear much different than those at night .
Things took a divergent turn toward chaos on Tuesday as nightfall brought thick clouds of sulfur and tear gas , creeping around almost every corner of a packed Uptown area .
The assembly was deemed unlawful Tuesday night , as it had during the past few evenings , reportedly due to a small number of people tossing fireworks and plastic water bottles in the direction of officers .
It is unclear whether those who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were protesters .
As lines of officers in riot gear appeared around each turn , the question , “ where do we go ?
” – shouted by several panicking protesters – was answered on many occasions that night with pepper bullets and flash bang grenades .
The boarded-up streets of Charlotte are not currently under a curfew , though city leaders say it is being considered after several nights of unrest .
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department on Tuesday said it is conducting an internal review related to a high-profile incident brought to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The video , live-streamed by Queen City Nerve , appeared to show hundreds of protesters completely surrounded by officers who fired riot-control agents upon the group , with some fleeing under a gate and into a parking garage to get away .
“ We were all just peacefully protesting .
Nobody was throwing anything , nothing bad was going down .
They were pushing up East 4th Street and they started coming on the sides of us , blocking all of the alleys , and that ’ s when we saw the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Jeremy Johnson of Gastonia told Courthouse News on Tuesday night .
Johnson added , “ We were just standing there and all of a sudden some more riot police came right up from behind us .
They blocked us in .
We were trying to go back .
We were all swarming between the buildings trying to find a way to go and that ’ s when they started hucking tear gas and shooting at us.
” Other protesters who were involved in the incident told Courthouse News that they were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officers and gassed for what felt like 30 minutes .
“ The deployment of chemical agents in Charlotte needs to end tonight , ” Charlotte city councilman Braxton Winston tweeted on Tuesday , with video of the incident included in his post .
Winston , a councilmember endeared by many local constituents for his history of civil rights advocacy , was arrested during a protest in northwest Charlotte last Friday .
He was charged with failure to disperse and was bailed out soon after .
Congresswoman Alma Adams , who represents North Carolina @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a statement Wednesday that police in Charlotte and across the country “ should immediately and permanently end the use of tear gas.
” “ Weapons that are illegal in war should never be used on American soil , especially against our own people , ” Adams said .
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department ’ s internal affairs office says it has received 50 complaints about officers , 49 of which were received on Wednesday .
“ I didn ’ t like what I saw , ” CMPD Chief Kerr Putney said Wednesday of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ this community should be very proud of the work our officers have been doing over the past few days , ” he added , emphasizing that the incident is overshadowing the good .
“ Chemical agents give us the opportunity to gain compliance without the use of physical force , ” Putney said .
Members of the news media were not spared from the riot-control agents , as many appeared to be caught in the middle of the fire .
Officers splattered pepper balls around the feet of a Courthouse News reporter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ article , after she identified herself as a member of the press .
“ I wouldn ’ t come back up here again if I were you , ” a bicycle officer who did not identify himself the reporter later Tuesday night .

Demonstrators gather near Atlanta’s Centennial Olympic Park on Wednesday to protest against police violence and racism. (Courthouse News photos/Kayla Goggin)
(CN) — Protests continued in Charlotte and Atlanta for the sixth consecutive day Wednesday afternoon as demonstrators peacefully gathered to march against police violence and racism in the wake of the deaths of George Floyd in Minnesota and Breonna Taylor in Kentucky.
In Atlanta, a group of about 100 protestors gathered outside the southern end of Centennial Olympic Park as members of the National Guard watched from inside the public park.
The crowd was energized, chanting “vote” and “hands up, don’t shoot” while waving signs at passing cars that honked to show their support.
Although the protesters showed no sign of aggression, reminders of violent protests earlier in the week surrounded the park. Several nearby restaurants have covered their windows with plywood. Less than a block away, barricades remain in front of CNN headquarters, where protesters smashed windows and vandalized the building Friday evening.
Military vehicles were parked along the street close by.
Natalia Tureta, 21, said she was more worried about violence from police than anything else Wednesday, telling Courthouse News that aggression from authorities at protests earlier in the week “terrified” her.
“I’ve never felt that much fear in my life, ever,” Tureta said.
She was concerned that police might lash out against protesters again.
“Later on tonight, it’s not going to be [calm] like this at all… It’s just so terrifying, the change of attitude [the police] have when people start to get really passionate,” she said. “The energy for us doesn’t change. It just grows bigger. If they’re afraid of a bigger crowd, they need to have ways to deal with it better than taunting us with tear gas and rubber bullets.”
Demonstrators gather near Atlanta’s Centennial Olympic Park on Wednesday, June 3, 2020, to protest against police violence and racism. (Courthouse News photo/Kayla Goggin)
Footage of Atlanta police officers assaulting two black college students Saturday night sparked outrage around the country this week after it went viral. Six officers were charged Tuesday with using excessive force against 20-year-old Taniya Pilgrim and 22-year-old Messiah Young, who were dragged from their car and shocked with Tasers. Two of the officers have been fired.
Whitlei Neal, a 30-year-old product developer, called the officers’ actions “obscene” but said she thinks Atlanta’s police force “has done very well, compared to other large city police organizations.”
Also outside the park, film industry professionals Mekkah Nycole, Shy Day and Joshua Gilyard had set up a small table to hand out voting information, bail fund fliers, snacks, water and first aid supplies.
Gilyard said after three days of marching in protests, they realized they wanted to expand their activism and help “make sure [people] are going in the right direction after this because there’s a long time before the November general election.”
“We want to make sure people stay informed because the anger is good but we’ve got to make sure that people go to the next step and get educated,” he said. “This is important, but it’s also important for us to show up at the polls.”
Peaceful protesters also began to assemble in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Wednesday afternoon for the sixth day of demonstrations there.
Daytime protests in the Queen City, which garnered thousands of supporters and have been nonviolent, appear much different than those at night.
Things took a divergent turn toward chaos on Tuesday as nightfall brought thick clouds of sulfur and tear gas, creeping around almost every corner of a packed Uptown area.
Protesters demonstrate on the streets of Charlotte, N.C., on Tuesday, June 2, 2020. (Courthouse News photo/Erika Williams)
The assembly was deemed unlawful Tuesday night, as it had during the past few evenings, reportedly due to a small number of people tossing fireworks and plastic water bottles in the direction of officers.
It is unclear whether those who partook in the reported throwing of projectiles were protesters.
As lines of officers in riot gear appeared around each turn, the question, “where do we go?” — shouted by several panicking protesters — was answered on many occasions that night with pepper bullets and flash bang grenades.
The boarded-up streets of Charlotte are not currently under a curfew, though city leaders say it is being considered after several nights of unrest.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department on Tuesday said it is conducting an internal review related to a high-profile incident brought to national light by a local alternative newspaper.
The video, live-streamed by Queen City Nerve, appeared to show hundreds of protesters completely surrounded by officers who fired riot-control agents upon the group, with some fleeing under a gate and into a parking garage to get away.
“We were all just peacefully protesting. Nobody was throwing anything, nothing bad was going down. They were pushing up East 4th Street and they started coming on the sides of us, blocking all of the alleys, and that’s when we saw the riot cops standing in front of us,” Jeremy Johnson of Gastonia told Courthouse News on Tuesday night.
Johnson added, “We were just standing there and all of a sudden some more riot police came right up from behind us. They blocked us in. We were trying to go back. We were all swarming between the buildings trying to find a way to go and that's when they started hucking tear gas and shooting at us.”
Other protesters who were involved in the incident told Courthouse News that they were “trapped in a box” of officers and gassed for what felt like 30 minutes.
“The deployment of chemical agents in Charlotte needs to end tonight,” Charlotte city councilman Braxton Winston tweeted on Tuesday, with video of the incident included in his post.
Winston, a councilmember endeared by many local constituents for his history of civil rights advocacy, was arrested during a protest in northwest Charlotte last Friday. He was charged with failure to disperse and was bailed out soon after.
Protesters demonstrate on the streets of Charlotte, N.C., on Tuesday, June 2, 2020. (Courthouse News photo/Erika Williams)
Congresswoman Alma Adams, who represents North Carolina’s 12th District, said in a statement Wednesday that police in Charlotte and across the country “should immediately and permanently end the use of tear gas.”
“Weapons that are illegal in war should never be used on American soil, especially against our own people," Adams said.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s internal affairs office says it has received 50 complaints about officers, 49 of which were received on Wednesday.
“I didn’t like what I saw,” CMPD Chief Kerr Putney said Wednesday of the previous night’s events. But “this community should be very proud of the work our officers have been doing over the past few days,” he added, emphasizing that the incident is overshadowing the good.
“Chemical agents give us the opportunity to gain compliance without the use of physical force,” Putney said.
Members of the news media were not spared from the riot-control agents, as many appeared to be caught in the middle of the fire. Officers splattered pepper balls around the feet of a Courthouse News reporter, one of the authors of this article, after she identified herself as a member of the press.
“I wouldn’t come back up here again if I were you,” a bicycle officer who did not identify himself to the reporter said later Tuesday night.


courthousenews--2020-06-04--Latin America Overwhelmed by Coronavirus

SAN SALVADOR , El Salvador ( CN ) — The reality of life in Latin America in May was more unpleasant than anyone could have imagined .
Just six months ago things were exponentially better .
Today , battered by the Covid-19 pandemic , the poor have been beaten by loss of income and the need to violate quarantine merely to survive .
Mexico reported more than 1,000 virus deaths on Wednesday — the first time the daily death toll reached four figures .
Brazil on Wednesday also reported a record daily death toll of 1,349 .
Both numbers are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ El Salvador , one hears elderly people compare the national plight to the nightmare of the 1930 ’ s , when there was war , famine and economic collapse that lasted for years after the nation fell into totalitarianism from the right .
There is no way yet to get a handle on the scope of the death and infection caused by the novel coronavirus .
Official figures are issued by official sources and most observers estimate that infections and deaths are vastly underreported ; in Brazil the cases are estimated to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ official numbers .
So statistics mean next to nothing at the present — only that things are bad .
Brazil ’ s official death count stood at 32,548 Wednesday night , Mexico ’ s at 11,729 .
In both countries the virus is raging ; both countries ’ presidents continue to try to minimize the seriousness of the situation .
Brazil ’ s health system has collapsed or is about to collapse , depending on the region .
There are no intensive-care beds in many hospitals , especially the public ones where the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ woefully inadequate systems and services .
In many cases the infected are encouraged to stay indoors and isolate .
In other cases , especially in Ecuador , people have died by the thousand in their homes , and occasionally on the streets .
To make matters worse , the municipal workers hired to collect the dead were overwhelmed , and after the corpses started to rot they were dragged to the streets and in some cases torched .
Latin America failed to contain Covid-19 .
It was too resilient to be overcome by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 70 days of lockdowns the pressure to reopen was too powerful .
Chile has suffered a second wave of infection after relaxing the quarantine too early and was forced to order an even more severe lockdown .
When Peru shut down the economy there were no buses or trains to take peasants back to their villages in the Andes , so people walked for days to get back to their families .
In Colombia , thousands of Venezuelans who lost their aspirations returned to Venezuela , where Covid-19 is somewhat under control .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ better health outcomes and have begun the resumption of normality .
With small populations , low population density and universal healthcare , they showed that the Covid pandemic can be controlled .
But two of the largest Latin American nations , Mexico and Brazil , are unable to cope with basic respiratory therapy for the dying .
There are shortages of bottled oxygen , black-market prices gouge people for masks , medicines and palliative care — and for caskets and funerals .
Budget burials involve large holes in the ground with plastic bags @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the battle against Covid-19 is compromised by politicians and some sectors of the ruling class who insist that quarantines are unconstitutional and that to decree them is an abuse of power by President Nayib Bukele .
The slogan one hears from the right is that Bukele is a dictator and should be removed from office .
Bukele is in his first year in office , and El Salvador has emerged from 30 years of bad government that followed a bloody , decade-long civil war .
The civil war of the 1980 ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the interests of the poor and the disadvantaged .
A millenial and hip , Bukele has wide support from most sectors of society , especially those under 30 , who are transforming the country by newfound belief that honest government may be possible .
Bukele often goads the rightists with the date of next year ’ s elections in which his party , Nuevas Ideas , is expected to capture a majority of the legislature , which could bring a new constitution and an emphasis on the working class and small farmers .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ America , has rarely been successful when it struggled to deviate from the path laid down by the United States .
Cuba , Nicaragua and Venezuela are prime examples that show that any country that charts a path that that strays from the interests of the United States may find itself crippled by sanctions and denial of credit .
Latin America was not prepared for coronavirus , nor was anyone .
More than 375,000 people have died of it worldwide , and thousands more are going to die for lack of hospital care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governments minimized the dangers of the lethal virus and refused to abide by recommendations of health authorities .

The reality of life in Latin America in May was more unpleasant than anyone could have imagined. Just six months ago things were exponentially better. Today, battered by the Covid-19 pandemic, the poor have been beaten by loss of income and the need to violate quarantine merely to survive.
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (CN) — The reality of life in Latin America in May was more unpleasant than anyone could have imagined. Just six months ago things were exponentially better. Today, battered by the Covid-19 pandemic, the poor have been beaten by loss of income and the need to violate quarantine merely to survive.
Mexico reported more than 1,000 virus deaths on Wednesday — the first time the daily death toll reached four figures. Brazil on Wednesday also reported a record daily death toll of 1,349. Both numbers are believed to be vastly undercounted.
In El Salvador, one hears elderly people compare the national plight to the nightmare of the 1930's, when there was war, famine and economic collapse that lasted for years after the nation fell into totalitarianism from the right.
There is no way yet to get a handle on the scope of the death and infection caused by the novel coronavirus. Official figures are issued by official sources and most observers estimate that infections and deaths are vastly underreported; in Brazil the cases are estimated to be 10 to 30 times greater than the official numbers. So statistics mean next to nothing at the present — only that things are bad.
Brazil’s official death count stood at 32,548 Wednesday night, Mexico’s at 11,729. In both countries the virus is raging; both countries’ presidents continue to try to minimize the seriousness of the situation.
Brazil's health system has collapsed or is about to collapse, depending on the region. There are no intensive-care beds in many hospitals, especially the public ones where the poor and the marginalized are attended by woefully inadequate systems and services.
In many cases the infected are encouraged to stay indoors and isolate. In other cases, especially in Ecuador, people have died by the thousand in their homes, and occasionally on the streets.
To make matters worse, the municipal workers hired to collect the dead were overwhelmed, and after the corpses started to rot they were dragged to the streets and in some cases torched.
Latin America failed to contain Covid-19. It was too resilient to be overcome by a few weeks of quarantine. After 70 days of lockdowns the pressure to reopen was too powerful. Chile has suffered a second wave of infection after relaxing the quarantine too early and was forced to order an even more severe lockdown.
When Peru shut down the economy there were no buses or trains to take peasants back to their villages in the Andes, so people walked for days to get back to their families. In Colombia, thousands of Venezuelans who lost their aspirations returned to Venezuela, where Covid-19 is somewhat under control.
Paraguay, Uruguay and Costa Rica have better health outcomes and have begun the resumption of normality. With small populations, low population density and universal healthcare, they showed that the Covid pandemic can be controlled.
But two of the largest Latin American nations, Mexico and Brazil, are unable to cope with basic respiratory therapy for the dying. There are shortages of bottled oxygen, black-market prices gouge people for masks, medicines and palliative care — and for caskets and funerals.
Budget burials involve large holes in the ground with plastic bags instead of coffins.
In El Salvador the battle against Covid-19 is compromised by politicians and some sectors of the ruling class who insist that quarantines are unconstitutional and that to decree them is an abuse of power by President Nayib Bukele. The slogan one hears from the right is that Bukele is a dictator and should be removed from office.
Bukele is in his first year in office, and El Salvador has emerged from 30 years of bad government that followed a bloody, decade-long civil war. The civil war of the 1980’s was waged to install leadership that favors the interests of the poor and the disadvantaged.
A millenial and hip, Bukele has wide support from most sectors of society, especially those under 30, who are transforming the country by newfound belief that honest government may be possible.
Bukele often goads the rightists with the date of next year’s elections in which his party, Nuevas Ideas, is expected to capture a majority of the legislature, which could bring a new constitution and an emphasis on the working class and small farmers.
El Salvador, like all of Latin America, has rarely been successful when it struggled to deviate from the path laid down by the United States. Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela are prime examples that show that any country that charts a path that that strays from the interests of the United States may find itself crippled by sanctions and denial of credit.
Latin America was not prepared for coronavirus, nor was anyone. More than 375,000 people have died of it worldwide, and thousands more are going to die for lack of hospital care. This will be especially true where governments minimized the dangers of the lethal virus and refused to abide by recommendations of health authorities.


courthousenews--2020-06-04--Portland, Oregon Police Feel the Heat From Protesters

PORTLAND , Ore. ( CN ) — Thousands of demonstrators filled the streets of Portland , Oregon Wednesday for a sixth straight night .
The massive crowd gathered in southeast Portland and marched across the Morrison Bridge , chanting as they packed into Waterfront Park , which stretches 30 acres along the Willamette River that divides the city in half .
In the park , organizers addressed the crowd .
“ We ’ ve waited 400 years for such a time as this right now , ” the Rev .
E.D .
Mondaine , president of PDX NAACP , told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a protest song , then said : “ We were convinced after the civil rights bill was passed that we were on our way to equality .
But that veil was lifted in 2016 .
We had roaches !
Oh , but I see before me : exterminators.
” Late Wednesday night , thousands were pressed against a chain link fence surrounding the Multnomah County Justice Center .
Last Friday , protesters broke the front windows of that building and started a fire inside before police pushed them back with volleys of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outcome of Wednesday ’ s standoff was unclear , but police warned over a loudspeaker that protesters would be subject to arrest or use of force if they “ tampered with the fence or attempted to pass.
” City leaders criticized Portland police on Wednesday morning for their handling of the protests .
City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty said at a Wednesday morning council meeting — the first since the protests began , that she planned to introduce a plan to defund three Portland Police programs : the Gun Violence Reduction Team , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Enforcement Team ; School Resource Officers , who patrol schools ; and Transit Police , which puts police on Tri-Met buses and trains .
The Department of Justice found in 2014 that the Portland Police Bureau has a pattern of using excessive force against people with mental illness .
In January this year , attorneys with the Department of Justice said the bureau was in “ substantial compliance ” with the settlement agreement that laid out reforms .
But after a night of lobbing tear gas canisters into largely peaceful crowds Tuesday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ car sped through a group of protesters , narrowly missing one , city leaders said Wednesday that Portland police were again using excessive force .
“ The Geneva Convention banned tear gas and I think we should too , ” City Commissioner Chloe Eudaly said Wednesday .
“ I went to bed horrified by what I saw last night .
And it is sadistic to be using tear gas in the middle of a public health crisis that ’ s attacking people ’ s respiratory systems .
”

Thousands of demonstrators filled the streets of Portland, Oregon Wednesday for a sixth straight night. The massive crowd gathered in southeast Portland and marched across the Morrison Bridge, chanting as they packed into Waterfront Park, which stretches 30 acres along the Willamette River that divides the city in half.
PORTLAND, Ore. (CN) — Thousands of demonstrators filled the streets of Portland, Oregon Wednesday for a sixth straight night. The massive crowd gathered in southeast Portland and marched across the Morrison Bridge, chanting as they packed into Waterfront Park, which stretches 30 acres along the Willamette River that divides the city in half.
In the park, organizers addressed the crowd. “We’ve waited 400 years for such a time as this right now,” the Rev. E.D. Mondaine, president of PDX NAACP, told the crowd.
Mondaine led the crowd in a protest song, then said: “We were convinced after the civil rights bill was passed that we were on our way to equality. But that veil was lifted in 2016. We had roaches! Oh, but I see before me: exterminators.”
Late Wednesday night, thousands were pressed against a chain link fence surrounding the Multnomah County Justice Center. Last Friday, protesters broke the front windows of that building and started a fire inside before police pushed them back with volleys of tear gas and concussion grenades.
The outcome of Wednesday’s standoff was unclear, but police warned over a loudspeaker that protesters would be subject to arrest or use of force if they “tampered with the fence or attempted to pass.”
City leaders criticized Portland police on Wednesday morning for their handling of the protests. City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty said at a Wednesday morning council meeting — the first since the protests began, that she planned to introduce a plan to defund three Portland Police programs: the Gun Violence Reduction Team, which used to be called the Gang Enforcement Team; School Resource Officers, who patrol schools; and Transit Police, which puts police on Tri-Met buses and trains.
The Department of Justice found in 2014 that the Portland Police Bureau has a pattern of using excessive force against people with mental illness. In January this year, attorneys with the Department of Justice said the bureau was in “substantial compliance” with the settlement agreement that laid out reforms.
But after a night of lobbing tear gas canisters into largely peaceful crowds Tuesday, and an incident in which a police car sped through a group of protesters, narrowly missing one, city leaders said Wednesday that Portland police were again using excessive force.
“The Geneva Convention banned tear gas and I think we should too,” City Commissioner Chloe Eudaly said Wednesday. “I went to bed horrified by what I saw last night. And it is sadistic to be using tear gas in the middle of a public health crisis that’s attacking people’s respiratory systems.”


courthousenews--2020-06-04--Protester, Shot in the Eye, Demands Answers From Dallas Police

DALLAS ( CN ) — A Dallas protester demanded answers from police Wednesday regarding the loss of his left eye after an officer shot him in the face with nonlethal ammunition during a peaceful protest against police brutality on May 30 .
Videos of Brandon Saenz , 26 , went viral after the shooting as Twitter posts showed him lying on a sidewalk with blood pouring out of his eye as other protesters frantically tried to stop the bleeding and called for medical assistance .
Several of the protesters said it was a rubber bullet , that they were peacefully @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police .
Saenz spoke publicly for the first time Wednesday , telling reporters he has lost the eye and seven teeth .
He said he has suffered multiple facial fractures requiring many surgeries .
As he spoke , a band of staples could be seen running from each ear over the top of his head and a plastic tube dangled behind his left ear to drain fluid to prevent blood clots .
Saenz said the shooting happened in the afternoon near the Dallas Public Library and Dallas City Hall .
“ I just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ That cop was out of line ; he knows who he is .
He just doesn ’ t want to come out and say it.
” Saenz said he put his hands up immediately after being shot , covered his left eye and started running before fellow protesters surrounded him and told him to lie down .
He said police were lined up nearby , and that “ they acted like they didn ’ t want to do anything for me and were like ‘ we don ’ t care , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ” Saenz was flanked by his father Andre Ray and attorneys Daryl Washington and Jasmine Crockett .
Washington said his client was peacefully protesting police brutality and the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police last week .
“ The death of George Floyd touched this city , but it touched Brandon , ” Washington said .
“ Brandon decided he was going to go out and support the efforts of other peaceful protesters .
He wanted to see change take place in this city , state and country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a victim of police brutality .
What happened to him is not justified whatsoever.
” Ray thanked God that his son is still alive , but added , “ No one has come forward to say , ‘ Hey , look , let ’ s hold this officer accountable.
’ ” Crockett asked members of the community to help identify the officer who wounded Saenz , adding , “ We do not want to go after the entire police department.
” She criticized Dallas Police Chief U. Renee Hall for speaking out against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I don ’ t need your words ; I need your actions.
” “ She can actually let the community know , not behind closed doors , but in front of everybody , can let them know ‘ I am demanding this action of my officers , they fall under my command , ’ ” Crockett said .
“ She needs to strongly proclaim that she will not stand for this kind of violence.
” Hall is Dallas ’ first black female police chief , joining the department in 2017 after serving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday she announced an investigation into two use-of-force incidents during the weekend protests .
But it does not appear she was referring to Saenz ’ s shooting , as the two incidents were described as taking place one day later in different parts of downtown .
An online fundraising campaign for Saenz ’ s medical bills had raised more than $ 47,000 as of Wednesday evening .
The Dallas-Fort Worth area has been rocked by several high-profile killings of unarmed black residents by white officers in the past three years .
Former Balch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ murder in 2018 for firing a rifle five times into a car and killing 15-year-old Jordan Edwards one year earlier .
A Dallas County jury did not believe his claims the car was driving at his partner and sentenced him to 15 years in state prison .
Former Dallas Officer Amber Guyger was convicted of murder in October for killing Botham Jean , an accountant with PriceWaterhouseCoopers , in his own apartment which she mistook for her own and fired at what she thought was an intruder .
Testimony during the seven-day trial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by refusing to arrest her immediately in spite of probable cause , being allowed to speak to a union representative in a police car with recording devices turned off and that she was charged only with manslaughter several days after the shooting .
Jurors sentenced her to 10 years in state prison .
Mere days after Guyger ’ s trial ended , former Fort Worth police Officer Aaron Dean was charged with murder for shooting and killing Atatiana Jefferson through the window of her mother ’ s home during a nonemergency welfare check @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dean looking into a window at the home , suddenly yelling , “ Put your hands up , show me your hands , ” before immediately firing his service weapon inside .
He is not shown identifying himself as police at any time .
He is free on bond , awaiting trial in Tarrant County .

A Dallas protester demanded answers from police Wednesday regarding the loss of his left eye after an officer shot him in the face with nonlethal ammunition during a peaceful protest against police brutality on May 30.
DALLAS (CN) — A Dallas protester demanded answers from police Wednesday regarding the loss of his left eye after an officer shot him in the face with nonlethal ammunition during a peaceful protest against police brutality on May 30.
Videos of Brandon Saenz, 26, went viral after the shooting as Twitter posts showed him lying on a sidewalk with blood pouring out of his eye as other protesters frantically tried to stop the bleeding and called for medical assistance. Several of the protesters said it was a rubber bullet, that they were peacefully protesting and were not a threat to police.
Saenz spoke publicly for the first time Wednesday, telling reporters he has lost the eye and seven teeth. He said he has suffered multiple facial fractures requiring many surgeries. As he spoke, a band of staples could be seen running from each ear over the top of his head and a plastic tube dangled behind his left ear to drain fluid to prevent blood clots. Saenz said the shooting happened in the afternoon near the Dallas Public Library and Dallas City Hall.
“I just want my justice,” Saenz said. “That cop was out of line; he knows who he is. He just doesn’t want to come out and say it.”
Saenz said he put his hands up immediately after being shot, covered his left eye and started running before fellow protesters surrounded him and told him to lie down. He said police were lined up nearby, and that “they acted like they didn’t want to do anything for me and were like ‘we don’t care, you are going to have to move.’”
Saenz was flanked by his father Andre Ray and attorneys Daryl Washington and Jasmine Crockett. Washington said his client was peacefully protesting police brutality and the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police last week.
“The death of George Floyd touched this city, but it touched Brandon,” Washington said. “Brandon decided he was going to go out and support the efforts of other peaceful protesters. He wanted to see change take place in this city, state and country. Sadly, Brandon has now become a victim of police brutality. What happened to him is not justified whatsoever.”
Ray thanked God that his son is still alive, but added, “No one has come forward to say, ‘Hey, look, let’s hold this officer accountable.’”
Crockett asked members of the community to help identify the officer who wounded Saenz, adding, “We do not want to go after the entire police department.”
She criticized Dallas Police Chief U. Renee Hall for speaking out against Floyd’s killing, saying, “I don’t need your words; I need your actions.”
“She can actually let the community know, not behind closed doors, but in front of everybody, can let them know ‘I am demanding this action of my officers, they fall under my command,’” Crockett said. “She needs to strongly proclaim that she will not stand for this kind of violence.”
Hall is Dallas’ first black female police chief, joining the department in 2017 after serving as deputy chief in Detroit.
On Monday she announced an investigation into two use-of-force incidents during the weekend protests. But it does not appear she was referring to Saenz’s shooting, as the two incidents were described as taking place one day later in different parts of downtown.
An online fundraising campaign for Saenz’s medical bills had raised more than $47,000 as of Wednesday evening.
The Dallas-Fort Worth area has been rocked by several high-profile killings of unarmed black residents by white officers in the past three years. Former Balch Springs Officer Roy Oliver was convicted of murder in 2018 for firing a rifle five times into a car and killing 15-year-old Jordan Edwards one year earlier. A Dallas County jury did not believe his claims the car was driving at his partner and sentenced him to 15 years in state prison.
Former Dallas Officer Amber Guyger was convicted of murder in October for killing Botham Jean, an accountant with PricewaterhouseCoopers, in his own apartment which she mistook for her own and fired at what she thought was an intruder.
Testimony during the seven-day trial alleged Dallas police showed Guyger favorable treatment by refusing to arrest her immediately in spite of probable cause, being allowed to speak to a union representative in a police car with recording devices turned off and that she was charged only with manslaughter several days after the shooting. Jurors sentenced her to 10 years in state prison.
Mere days after Guyger’s trial ended, former Fort Worth police Officer Aaron Dean was charged with murder for shooting and killing Atatiana Jefferson through the window of her mother’s home during a nonemergency welfare check. A two-minute body camera video shows Dean looking into a window at the home, suddenly yelling, “Put your hands up, show me your hands,” before immediately firing his service weapon inside. He is not shown identifying himself as police at any time. He is free on bond, awaiting trial in Tarrant County.


courthousenews--2020-06-04--Tennessee Judge Weighs Crucial Question of Absentee Voting

NASHVILLE ( CN ) — A Tennessee judge on Wednesday was asked to make the difficult decision of whether the state should loosen restrictions on absentee voting during the Covid-19 pandemic .
Davidson County Chancellor Ellen Lyle said the stakes are high .
“ Whatever I order , it ’ s got to be a practical , workable solution or it will throw the election into chaos , ” Lyle said Wednesday during a hearing on three consolidated lawsuits .
Tennessee voters filed two lawsuits in May challenging the state ’ s limits on who can vote absentee during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that fear of contracting the virus was not a valid excuse to vote absentee , the plaintiffs asked Lyle to issue a temporary injunction that would open up absentee voting .
The voters said they would be disenfranchised if they were forced to choose between showing up at a polling place in close contact with others , or protecting their lives by staying home .
Lyle said the Tennessee Constitution described the right to vote in stronger language than federal law .
The big question on Lyle ’ s mind : Could Tennessee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groups sued Tennessee in state court , one of them represented by the American Civil Liberties Union .
A third lawsuit was filed in federal court .
Each one challenged the state law that prevents people from voting absentee unless they fall into an exemption , such as being older than 60 , or ill. All three cases were argued together on Wednesday .
The proceedings were conducted remotely , with attorneys from the Tennessee Attorney General ’ s Office and plaintiffs ’ attorneys participating via Zoom .
The courthouse where the Davidson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fire during weekend protests of the police killing of George Floyd .
Wesley Somers , 25 , of Hendersonville , was arrested and federally charged Wednesday .
The graffiti , water and fire damage did not affect the operations of the Chancery Court , according to Court Clerk Maria Salas .
One of the plaintiffs voluntarily nonsuited his claims Friday because he posted a 19-second video from a protest in Memphis that showed him near other people , according to a brief submitted by the state .
Alex Rieger , assistant attorney general @ @ @ @ @ @ @ open up absentee voting to any voter concerned about contracting Covid-19 .
Historically , only about 2.5 % of Tennessee voters cast ballots by mail .
He said the state was preparing as if every registered voter over 60 — 33 % of the voting population — would apply for an absentee ballot .
Rieger said that if Lyle issued a temporary injunction county voting officials would be overwhelmed .
They would have to prepare as if every registered voter , all 4.1 million of them , decided to vote by mail and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ open .
Because no recent elections have been conducted during a pandemic , the state had no data to indicate what to expect , Rieger said .
“ We must have the ability to make sure that every voter in Tennessee , if they are permitted to vote no-excuse absentee , can do so or if they want to vote in person to make sure they can do so as well , because we can ’ t run that risk of disenfranchising a voter , ” Rieger said .
While the state printed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be tasked with storing them in secure locations and hiring additional staff to open the ballots on election day and start counting .
Rieger said affidavits from county election officials warn that such a ramp-up of absentee ballots would burden the state and could lead to disenfranchisement of even more voters .
The lawsuits come as Tennessee is facing a virus-related budget crunch and state agencies have been asked to cut their budgets by 12 % .
“ It is not feasible to ( do ) statewide , no-excuse absentee voting , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s too expensive .
It carries risk to the voter .
It risks sowing confusion and chaos into an election process that ’ s already ongoing.
” But according to Steven Mulroy , a law professor at University of Memphis who represented some of the voters , the state made an assumption that every election office would have to prepare as if 100 % of registered voters would vote in person and 100 % would cast an absentee ballot .
That calculation does not comport with industry standards , nor the state ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ State Kim Wyman , Mulroy said .
According to Mulroy , only a fraction of people turn out to vote in a given year and the state probably has enough ballots to cover voters during the August primaries .
Doing some calculations during the hearing , Mulroy said about 840,000 people may cast absentee ballots in an August election , if absentee voting restrictions were loosened .
Other neighboring states have loosened restrictions on absentee voting during the pandemic , including Kentucky , Arkansas and Alabama , a fact Lyle called “ weighty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Dechert LLP , said there never has been 100 % turnout .
During the state primary in August 2016 , only 14 % of Tennessee voters cast ballots .
If the state is preparing for 33 % of its voters to vote absentee , then it is ready for its August primaries this year , Liu said .
She said Tennessee did not explain why it could not change its voting procedures as about a dozen other states have done .
“ Your honor , bureaucratic incompetence can not be a defense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Lyle said she would issue her opinion on Thursday .

A Tennessee judge on Wednesday was asked to make the difficult decision of whether the state should loosen restrictions on absentee voting during the Covid-19 pandemic.
NASHVILLE (CN) — A Tennessee judge on Wednesday was asked to make the difficult decision of whether the state should loosen restrictions on absentee voting during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Davidson County Chancellor Ellen Lyle said the stakes are high.
“Whatever I order, it's got to be a practical, workable solution or it will throw the election into chaos,” Lyle said Wednesday during a hearing on two consolidated lawsuits.
Davidson County Chancery Court is the venue to file lawsuits against several major state agencies in Tennessee.
Tennessee voters filed two lawsuits in May challenging the state’s limits on who can vote absentee during the Covid-19 pandemic. After elections officials said that fear of contracting the virus was not a valid excuse to vote absentee, the plaintiffs asked Lyle to issue a temporary injunction that would open up absentee voting.
The voters said they would be disenfranchised if they were forced to choose between showing up at a polling place in close contact with others, or protecting their lives by staying home.
Lyle said the Tennessee Constitution described the right to vote in stronger language than federal law.
The big question on Lyle’s mind: Could Tennessee pull off no-excuse absentee voting?
Two groups sued Tennessee in state court, one of them represented by the American Civil Liberties Union. Lyle heard both cases at the Wednesday hearing. A third lawsuit was filed in federal court. Each one challenged the state law that prevents people from voting absentee unless they fall into an exemption, such as being older than 60, or ill.
The proceedings were conducted remotely, with attorneys from the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office and plaintiffs’ attorneys participating via Zoom.
The courthouse where the Davidson Chancery Court conducts business was set on fire during weekend protests of the police killing of George Floyd. Wesley Somers, 25, of Hendersonville, was arrested and federally charged Wednesday.
The graffiti, water and fire damage did not affect the operations of the Chancery Court, according to Court Clerk Maria Salas. One of the plaintiffs voluntarily nonsuited his claims Friday because he posted a 19-second video from a protest in Memphis that showed him near other people, according to a brief submitted by the state.
Alex Rieger, assistant attorney general, argued that the state could not open up absentee voting to any voter concerned about contracting Covid-19.
Historically, only about 2.5% of Tennessee voters cast ballots by mail. He said the state was preparing as if every registered voter over 60 — 33% of the voting population — would apply for an absentee ballot.
Rieger said that if Lyle issued a temporary injunction county voting officials would be overwhelmed. They would have to prepare as if every registered voter, all 4.1 million of them, decided to vote by mail and at the same time keep polling sites open. Because no recent elections have been conducted during a pandemic, the state had no data to indicate what to expect, Rieger said.
“We must have the ability to make sure that every voter in Tennessee, if they are permitted to vote no-excuse absentee, can do so or if they want to vote in person to make sure they can do so as well, because we can't run that risk of disenfranchising a voter,” Rieger said.
While the state printed the ballots, counties across the state would be tasked with storing them in secure locations and hiring additional staff to open the ballots on election day and start counting.
Rieger said affidavits from county election officials warn that such a ramp-up of absentee ballots would burden the state and could lead to disenfranchisement of even more voters. The lawsuits come as Tennessee is facing a virus-related budget crunch and state agencies have been asked to cut their budgets by 12%.
“It is not feasible to (do) statewide, no-excuse absentee voting,” Rieger said. “It's too expensive. It carries risk to the voter. It risks sowing confusion and chaos into an election process that's already ongoing.”
But according to Steven Mulroy, a law professor at University of Memphis who represented some of the voters, the state made an assumption that every election office would have to prepare as if 100% of registered voters would vote in person and 100% would cast an absentee ballot.
That calculation does not comport with industry standards, nor the state’s own expert, Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman, Mulroy said.
According to Mulroy, only a fraction of people turn out to vote in a given year and the state probably has enough ballots to cover voters during the August primaries. Doing some calculations during the hearing, Mulroy said about 840,000 people may cast absentee ballots in an August election, if absentee voting restrictions were loosened.
Other neighboring states have loosened restrictions on absentee voting during the pandemic, including Kentucky, Arkansas and Alabama, a fact Lyle called “weighty proof.”
Angela Liu, an attorney with Dechert LLP, said there never has been 100% turnout. During the state primary in August 2016, only 14% of Tennessee voters cast ballots. If the state is preparing for 33% of its voters to vote absentee, then it is ready for its August primaries this year, Liu said.
She said Tennessee did not explain why it could not change its voting procedures as about a dozen other states have done.
“Your honor, bureaucratic incompetence cannot be a defense to a constitutional violation,” Liu said.
Lyle said she would issue her opinion on Thursday.


courthousenews--2020-06-04--No Violence Wednesday in California Protests Led by the Young

A major protest in Los Angeles was organized by people not old enough to vote .
SAN FRANCISCO ( CN ) — Demonstrations against police brutality continued across California on Wednesday , with one of the largest ones organized by teenagers tired of systemic racism and abuse .
The killing of George Floyd at the hands of Derek Chauvin , a Minneapolis police officer who kneeled on his neck for nearly 9 minutes as Floyd begged for his life , set off a week of protests throughout the country .
Chauvin was initially charged with third-degree murder , which was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Three other police officers who did not intervene to stop Chauvin were charged with aiding and abetting murder .
In San Francisco on Wednesday , thousands of young people of all races flooded the streets in the Mission District to protest police brutality , racism and white supremacy .
They also came to give a giant middle finger to the establishment .
The demonstration started on the steps of Mission High School , where young organizers addressed the impassioned throng , carrying pictures of Floyd and Black Lives Matter signs .
They were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We ’ re just youth who grew up in the city .
We ’ re just people who care and love each other , ” she said .
“ We are here to fight , abolishing police and to dismantle the systems dependent on our oppression.
” She continued to cheers from the crowd .
“ Today we are here for George Floyd , Tony McDade , Breonna Taylor , and many more black men and women killed .
We are here to honor their lives as sacred , because the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here for our loved ones and our future children .
“ So today , we say ‘ F- the police , F-ICE , and F-Donald Trump , ’ because we will no longer tolerate our persecution and our murders .
We are here as children of our generation to disrupt their peace .
This is community taking care of community and we are living proof that we do not need police.
” Another organizer , 19-year-old Sabrina McFarland , read a heartbreaking poem to the crowd .
“ I awake to a country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s never enough time for me to even catch my breath before the next hashtag surfaces , and I start to feel my PTSD surfacing again .
I was about 10 when the police killed my cousin .
The San Pablo Police Department said he had a weapon , and the only weapon they could identify was his kid .
I done heard too many stories like his .
I ’ m sick of it , and it ’ s really simple actually , not quite complex .
Tell the police to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Michael Houston , who recently graduated from high school , said he had just heard that a 13-year-old black boy had been killed by police in his hometown of Brooklyn , New York the night before .
“ We may not have all the facts , but one fact remains clear : What condition would lead to a 13-year-old boy being murdered by the police ?
The same exact condition that led to George Floyd , ” he said .
Calling out San Francisco ’ s wealth and privilege , he urged white @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for more diversity in hiring .
“ It is up to you to use your privilege and go into your companies and demand to see more black people in those companies , ” he said .
Houston said he didn ’ t care if some corporations had lost money from the looting in San Francisco the previous weekend , after decades of violence against black businesses at the hands of white rioters , such as the complete devastation of Tulsa , Oklahoma ’ s prosperous Greenwood District known as the “ Black Wall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So I don ’ t give a F- about Target , about Walgreens , or CVS , ” Houston said .
“ In the same breath , to those anarchists who are there to spread pure chaos , understand something : We will hold you accountable .
You don ’ t have to worry about the police .
You got ta worry about us .
You will not disrupt our revolution.
” It was difficult to estimate the size of the crowd .
Local media reports pegged it at 10,000 to 30,000 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gatorade , protein bars , and bags of chips .
One brought macaroni and cheese .
The march was planned to go from Mission High School to the Mission Police Station on Valencia Street , a roughly 10-minute walk .
But Jacques announced that the route had been changed , to the Hall of Justice , about 2 miles away .
As the march got under way , Jacques implored the crowd to stay safe and hydrated .
Artist Aireon Tavares , 27 , said he came over from Oakland to show support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out here to support my brothers .
I ’ m just coming out here to be present , ” he said .
He said he ’ d been doing street art in Oakland , and hopes to give other artists a space to do the same .
He and his friends had also been cleaning up the streets from the aftermath of past demonstrations .
“ We ’ re cleaning up graffiti , we ’ re cleaning up all the mess from the looting which we didn ’ t cause , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be rescinded on Thursday but still very much in effect Wednesday night , Tavares said , “ We ’ re peaceful and we ’ re going to keep marching.
” To the thunderous beating of drums from local performance group Loco Bloco , the protesters , largely in their late teens , twenties and early thirties , set off for the Hall of Justice , pausing for a moment of silence under a freeway overpass .
When they reached their destination , they confronted a line of police officers guarding the criminal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and more police were spotted on the roof .
The protesters marched straight up to the barricades and raised their fists .
As the sun began to set , organizers lit a piñata of President Trump ’ s head on fire , chanting , “ Trump , you liar , we set your ass on fire.
” Standing triumphantly atop a school bus used as part of the march , Jacques told protesters that they were welcome to leave before curfew , but asked white people to stay , saying their privilege @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brown compatriots .
No arrests had been made as of 9 p.m. News site Mission Local reported that the march continued to the Mission Station , where police in riot gear awaited them .
In Los Angeles , the National Guard in fatigues , full gear and carrying assault rifles were positioned around City Hall as teenagers and adults carrying signs decrying police violence marched by in peaceful protest .
Los Angeles , like many other metropolitan centers across the country , saw some protests in the last week spiral into looting .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ bullets at protesters and thousands have been arrested , according to the LAPD , for charges including vandalism , robbery and breaking curfew .
Mayor Eric Garcetti called for the National Guard ’ s assistance over the weekend , bringing back images of the 1992 race riots that were sparked the beating of Rodney King by several police officers .
On Wednesday , Los Angeles extended its curfew for a fourth day in a row , nearly a week after the first protests in the city spilled onto a freeway .
For nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Black Lives Matter movement has met outside the downtown Hall of Justice in downtown , in the same building as District Attorney Jackie Lacey ’ s offices .
Attendees share stories about police violence .
Since taking office in 2012 , Lacey has brought charges against only one police officer , over a deadly shooting of an unarmed civilian .
The Black Lives Matter rally swelled to thousands as the L.A. chapter ’ s co-founder Melina Abdullah spoke about the stark contrast of the protesters with their signs and the heavy police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We need to think about this idea of justice and redefine what justice means .
Everything they say is the opposite , ” said Abudullah .
“ When they say justice , they mean injustice.
” Lacey said this week the she was “ heartbroken ” by the footage of Floyd ’ s death and that “ the racial inequities in our criminal justice system are as clear as ever.
” Across the street from the Hall of Justice , Ruth Davis listened to the Black Lives Matter members list the names @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police , some of whom gained national attention and some who did not .
Davis said Lacey ’ s comments were too late .
“ When BLM has been doing this for years and we haven ’ t heard anything from her , she wants to share her crocodile tears now ?
” Davis asked .
“ It ’ s clearly not a black thing .
She ’ s a black woman .
I ’ m a black woman .
It ’ s about doing your fucking job , and holding these officers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , people.
” Outside City Hall , 12-year-old Joshua said he really wanted to attend the protest , but his grandmother wouldn ’ t let him go alone , so she tagged along .
Catalina , who did not give her last name , said the criminal justice system must change the way it treats people of color , so her grandson ’ s children can see a change .
“ How many years later and it ’ s still the same thing for people like us ?
We see the injustice .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ do something nothing is going to change , ” Catalina said .
Julia , 17 , who did not give her last name , said she was aware that she could be exposed to the novel coronavirus by attending the demonstration .
“ But I would rather be here than at home behind a screen singing a petition , ” she said .
A campaign to reprioritize the Los Angeles budget may have resulted in City Council President Nury Martinez calling for city staff to find $ 100 million to $ 150 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moved to low-income communities .
Governor Gavin Newsom met with black community leaders and business owners in Los Angeles on Wednesday .
Joined by local officials and Los Angeles-area lawmakers , Newsom said it was important to spend time volunteering and supporting charitable efforts in the south Los Angeles neighborhood of Leimert Park .
On Tuesday Newsom scrubbed graffiti off buildings near the California State Capitol Museum in downtown Sacramento .
“ With this crisis , it ’ s more imperative that I spend more time out and about all across this state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interview conducted by a Los Angeles Times reporter .
Though he ’ s activated the National Guard and thousands of troops continued to roam city streets Wednesday , Newsom said he would draw the line at federal support .
The Democratic governor said California would not accept a potential offer from President Trump for active-duty military backup .
“ It won ’ t happen ; it ’ s not going to happen .
We would reject it , ” Newsom said .

Demonstrations against police brutality continued across California on Wednesday, with one of the largest ones organized by teenagers tired of systemic racism and abuse.
SAN FRANCISCO (CN) — Demonstrations against police brutality continued across California on Wednesday, with one of the largest ones organized by teenagers tired of systemic racism and abuse.
The killing of George Floyd at the hands of Derek Chauvin, a Minneapolis police officer who kneeled on his neck for nearly nine minutes as Floyd begged for his life, set off a week of protests throughout the country. Chauvin was initially charged with third-degree murder, which was elevated to second-degree murder on Wednesday. Three other police officers who did not intervene to stop Chauvin were charged with aiding and abetting murder.
In San Francisco on Wednesday, thousands of young people of all races flooded the streets in the Mission District to protest police brutality, racism and white supremacy. They also came to give a giant middle finger to the establishment.
The demonstration started on the steps of Mission High School, where young organizers addressed the impassioned throng, carrying pictures of Floyd and Black Lives Matter signs. They were led by 17-year-old Simone Jacques.
Simone Jacques, 17, addresses the crowd assembled at San Francisco’s Mission High School on Wednesday, June 3, where a rally was held to protest the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd a week and a half earlier. (Courthouse News photo/Maria Dinzeo)
“We’re just youth who grew up in the city. We’re just people who care and love each other,” she said. “We are here to fight, abolishing police and to dismantle the systems dependent on our oppression.”
She continued to cheers from the crowd. “Today we are here for George Floyd, Tony McDade, Breonna Taylor, and many more black men and women killed. We are here to honor their lives as sacred, because the United States never has. We’re also here for our loved ones and our future children.
“So today, we say ‘Fuck the police, fuck ICE, and fuck Donald Trump,’ because we will no longer tolerate our persecution and our murders. We are here as children of our generation to disrupt their peace. This is community taking care of community and we are living proof that we do not need police.”
Another organizer, 19-year-old Sabrina McFarland, read a heartbreaking poem to the crowd. “I awake to a country that reeks of black death. There’s never enough time for me to even catch my breath before the next hashtag surfaces, and I start to feel my PTSD surfacing again. I was about 10 when the police killed my cousin. The San Pablo Police Department said he had a weapon, and the only weapon they could identify was his skin. I done heard too many stories like his. I’m sick of it, and it’s really simple actually, not quite complex. Tell the police to keep their knees off our necks.”
Drummers from the local youth performance group Loco Bloco play outside the San Francisco Hall of Justice on Wednesday, June 3, during a march through the streets of San Francisco over the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd a week and a half earlier. (Courthouse News photo/Maria Dinzeo)
Michael Houston, who recently graduated from high school, said he had just heard that a 13-year-old black boy had been killed by police in his hometown of Brooklyn, New York, the night before.
"We may not have all the facts, but one fact remains clear: What condition would lead to a 13-year-old boy being murdered by the police? The same exact condition that led to George Floyd,” he said.
Calling out San Francisco’s wealth and privilege, he urged white people who work in tech to advocate for more diversity in hiring. “It is up to you to use your privilege and go into your companies and demand to see more black people in those companies,” he said.
Houston said he didn’t care if some corporations had lost money from the looting in San Francisco the previous weekend, after decades of violence against black businesses at the hands of white rioters, such as the complete devastation of Tulsa, Oklahoma’s prosperous Greenwood District known as the “Black Wall Street,” in 1921.
“So I don’t give a fuck about Target, about Walgreens, or CVS,” Houston said. “In the same breath, to those anarchists who are there to spread pure chaos, understand something: We will hold you accountable. You don’t have to worry about the police. You gotta worry about us. You will not disrupt our revolution.”