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Minneapolis push to defund police backfires after residents complain of slow response times, increase in crime
Minneapolis on Friday backtracked on its original push to defund the city’s police department in the wake of George Floyd’s police custody death after residents begged the city to hire more officers, citing longer response times and increased violent crime.
The City Council on Friday voted unanimously to approve $6.4 million in additional funding that police had requested.
The department says it only has 638 officers available to work — roughly 200 fewer than usual. An unprecedented number of officers quit or went on extended medical leave after Floyd's death and the unrest that followed.
With new recruit classes, the city anticipates it will have 674 officers available at the end of the year, with another 28 in the hiring process, the Star Tribune reported.
Days before the City Council vote, Mayor Jacob Frey and Police Chief Medaria Arradondo promised to update the application process for police recruits to include questions about whether they have lived in Minneapolis, have degrees in criminology, social work, psychology or counseling, and whether they volunteer or participate in programs such as the Police Activities League.
Meanwhile, three City Council members have proposed replacing the police department with a public safety department that would include law enforcement and other services. Yes 4 Minneapolis, a coalition of local community groups, is also collecting signatures to try to get a similar proposal on the November ballot. CLICK HERE FOR MORE ON OUR TOP STORY.
In other developments:
- LAPD probes report of George Floyd photo with caption, ‘You take my breath away’: report
- Mother who lost daughter to gun violence pushes back against 'Defund Police' movement
- Minneapolis lawmakers distance themselves from 'defund the police' movement after $8M budget cuts
- What happened to 'defund the police'?
Here's how Trump's acquittal could affect Biden's stimulus checks
Following the conclusion of former president Donald Trump's impeachment trial, the House and Senate are schedule to take a short recess this upcoming week, delaying Congress' effort to deliver a third round of stimulus checks and other much-needed relief to the American people.
Lawmakers will reconvene on February 22, when they will iron out the outstanding details of President Biden's $1.9 trillion proposal.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters on Thursday she hopes the relief package will be approved "by the end of February so we can send it to the president’s desk before unemployment benefits expire" on March 14.
The House Ways and Means Committee recently approved a portion of Biden's plan by a vote of 24-18 along party lines, which includes the $1,400 direct payments to Americans. Other parts of the bill will continue be voted on by piecemeal as the Democratic-led Senate plans to use budget reconciliation to bypass opposition from Republicans.
The proposals cannot move out of committee until they are voted on when the House reconvenes. CLICK HERE FOR MORE.
In other developments:
- Did you get the right stimulus check amount? Why you need to know before filing your tax return
- Who is eligible for a third stimulus check under the latest COVID-19 relief proposal?
- What's in Biden's $1.9T coronavirus relief proposal?
- Biden sparks backlash among some progressives over $1,400 stimulus checks in coronavirus relief proposal
Trump’s impeachment attorney goes viral after exchange with CBS reporter
Michael van der Veen, one of former President Trump’s lawyers at the impeachment trial, went viral Saturday after an interview with CBS News’ streaming service called CBSN.
The lawyer, who had just won his case, was interviewed by Lana Zak, an anchor from the network, who he accused of trying to downplay Democrat impeachment managers who he said doctored evidence during the trial.
The interview seemed to get tense after Zak asked him about beginning his defense by stating that there was no "insurrection" at the Capitol, but then-- in his closing argument, "seemingly admitted that there was, in fact, an insurrection." She said he used the word during the argument.
Van der Veen shot back and said she did not understand the case. He said he only used the word "insurrection" when he quoted the charging documents.
"What happened at the Capitol on Jan. 6 was absolutely horrific," he said. "But what happened at the Capitol during this trial was not too far away from that." CLICK HERE FOR MORE.
In other developments:
- Michael Goodwin: Trump impeachment verdict – here's who won and who lost
- GOP Sen. Cassidy: Trump’s 'force wanes' following Capitol riot
- Donna Brazile: The Trump impeachment trial and our duty to history
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SOME PARTING WORDS
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds was a guest on "The Next Revolution" with Steve Hilton Sunday night where she discussed the next steps in in-person learning at schools as well as her push for school choice.
"Let’s be clear, our kids need to be in the classroom," Reynolds said, adding "and that’s what we’ve done in Iowa. The vast majority of our classrooms have been opened and the kids have been in the classrooms since August. And we’ve done it safely and responsibly. We saw a tremendous grassroots organization of parents, teachers, and administrators and kids who we did listening sessions with and we said ‘enough is enough.’ I said our kids can’t wait any longer so we passed a bill that said every school district must offer parents the option to have their children in school full time Monday through Friday."
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