Minneapolis officer with knee to Floyd’s neck to be tried alone
MINNEAPOLIS — A former Minneapolis police officer who held his knee to George Floyd’s neck for minutes will be tried separately from the three other former officers accused in his death, according to an order filed Tuesday that cites limited courtroom space due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Derek Chauvin will stand trial alone in March while the other three former officers will be tried together in the summer. In his order, Judge Peter Cahill cited the limitations of physical space during the coronavirus pandemic, saying it is “impossible to comply with COVID-19 physical restrictions” given how many lawyers and support personnel the four defendants say would be present.
Prosecutors disagreed with the judge’s decision. A defense attorney for former Officer Thomas Lane said he believed a separate trial would be better for his client, while the other defense attorneys either declined to comment or did not return messages.
Legal observers say the change benefits Chauvin’s co-defendants, who will get a preview of what the state’s witnesses will say and more time to prepare. They’ll also blame Chauvin, who won’t be on trial with them to push back.
Last week, prosecutors asked Cahill to postpone the March 8 trial to June 7 to reduce public health risks associated with COVID-19. In his Monday order, which was filed Tuesday, the judge wrote that while the pandemic situation may be greatly improved by June, “the Court is not so optimistic given news reports detailing problems with the vaccine rollout.”
Floyd, a Black man, died May 25 after Chauvin, who is white, pressed his knee against Floyd’s neck while he was handcuffed face down on the street. Police were investigating whether Floyd used a counterfeit bill at a nearby store. In a video widely seen on social media, Floyd could be heard pleading with officers for air, saying he couldn’t breathe.
Pompeo cancels trip: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has canceled what would have been his final official trip abroad as concerns grow over potential violence at next week’s presidential inauguration, the State Department said Tuesday.
Less than 18 hours after announcing that Pompeo would be traveling to Brussels this week to close out his tenure as America’s top diplomat, the department said it had pulled down all senior-level overseas travel, including the secretary’s.
Pompeo was to have met with NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg and Belgium’s foreign minister while in Brussels. Initial plans for a stop in Luxembourg had been already been scrapped due to the coronavirus pandemic, officials said.
Since last week’s deadly assault on the U.S. Capitol by rioters encouraged by President Donald Trump, concerns have been raised about the security of Biden’s inauguration.
Officials said the cancellation of Pompeo’s trip was intended to support the transition and was not related to fears of violence.
Flint water scandal: Former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, his health director and other ex-officials have been told they’re being charged after a new investigation of the Flint water scandal, which devastated the majority Black city with lead-contaminated water and was blamed for a deadly outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease, The Associated Press has learned.
Two people with knowledge of the planned prosecution told the AP on Tuesday that the attorney general’s office has informed defense lawyers about indictments in Flint and told them to expect initial court appearances soon. They spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
The AP could not determine the nature of the charges against Snyder, former health department director Nick Lyon and others who were in his administration, including Rich Baird, a friend who was the governor’s key troubleshooter while in office.
Snyder, a Republican who has been out of office for two years, was governor when state-appointed managers in Flint switched the city’s water to the Flint River in 2014 as a cost-saving step while a pipeline was being built to Lake Huron. The water, however, was not treated to reduce corrosion — a disastrous decision affirmed by state regulators that caused lead to leach from old pipes and spoil the distribution system used by nearly 100,000 residents.
Ruling on abortion pill: The Supreme Court ordered Tuesday that women must visit a doctor’s office, hospital or clinic in person to obtain an abortion pill during the COVID-19 pandemic, though similar rules for other drugs have been suspended during the public health emergency.
Eight days before President Donald Trump leaves office, the justices granted a Trump administration appeal to be able to enforce a long-standing rule on getting the abortion pill, mifepristone.
The pill need not be taken in the presence of medical professionals.
The court split 6-3, with the liberal justices in dissent. The new administration could put the in-person requirement on hold.
Trump contracts in jeopardy: New York City is looking to terminate its contracts with President Donald Trump to run two Central Park skating rinks and other facilities after a Trump-inspired mob rioted and breached the U.S. Capitol last week, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Tuesday.
“The president incited a rebellion against the United States government, a clearly unconstitutional act, and people died,” the Democratic mayor said at a news briefing. “That’s unforgivable. So our legal team is right now assessing the options, and as quickly as we come to a resolution we’re going to have something to say.”
An email seeking a response to de Blasio’s comments indicating a wish to cancel the contracts was sent to Trump Organization representatives.
Cancer death rate drops: Researchers on Tuesday reported another record one-year decline in the U.S. cancer death rate, a drop they attribute to success against lung cancer.
The cancer death rate has been falling since 1991. From 2017 to 2018, it fell 2.4%, according to an American Cancer Society report, topping the 2.2% drop reported the year before.
Lung cancer accounted for almost half of the overall decline in cancer deaths in the past five years, the society reported.
Most lung cancer cases are tied to smoking, and decades of declining smoking rates have led to falling rates of lung cancer illnesses and deaths.
But experts say the drop in deaths has been accelerated by refinements in surgery, better diagnostic scanning, more precise use of radiation and the impact of newer drugs.