May 11 top stories
It is May 11. Here are today’s top stories.
Bronstein case: California agrees to pay $24M
Local news reported that Edward Bronstein, 38, was pulled over in Los Angeles County under suspicion of driving under the influence on March 31, 2020. Officers obtained a warrant to get a blood sample from Bronstein, who initially resisted but then agreed under restraints in the hands of several officers while a medical professional was retrieving a blood sample, according to video taken on the scene.
Bronstein was repeatedly heard on video footage saying “I can’t breathe” and “Let me breathe” at least 12 times within a 30-second span while on the ground and became unresponsive minutes later. He died shortly after the encounter.
Bronstein’s family filed a lawsuit in December 2020 against the state of California and other responsible individuals. Seven of the 10 officers and the nurse involved were charged with involuntary manslaughter in Bronstein’s death in March 2023.
The state of California has agreed to pay a $24 million civil rights settlement to the family of Edward Bronstein. Attorneys for Bronstein said it is the largest civil rights settlement of its kind in the state of California.
Updates on BLM protestor’s murder
Here are the updates on the Daniel Perry case. What happened? Daniel Perry shot and killed a Black Lives Matter protestor, Garrett Foster at a demonstration in Austin, Texas. Perry and Foster are both white.
A jury in his trial unanimously convicted Perry of Foster’s murder on April 8. The day after the jury’s guilty verdict, conservatives slammed it on social media and national TV, and Texas Governor Greg Abbott chimed in saying he would pardon Perry as quickly as possible.
On Wednesday morning, a judge sentenced Perry to 25 years in prison. But if Governor Abbott pardons Perry, then Perry serves little time. However, Abbott can’t issue a pardon without a recommendation from the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, whom he appointed.
Trump CNN town hall takeaways
Former President Donald Trump participated in a live 90-minute CNN town hall event moderated by former chief White House correspondent and anchor Kaitlan Collins in New Hampshire on Wednesday.
Trump, with his first question from Collins about why he should be elected again, started repeating his unfounded claims of election fraud in the 2020 presidential election. He called it a rigged election and a shame, refusing to concede that he lost the 2020 presidential election.
Trump was asked if he regretted his actions on the Jan 6 insurrection. He boasted about the size of the crowd he gave a speech to and said the attendees believed the election was rigged. He added that if he was re-elected as president, he would pardon many of those convicted for their roles in the attack on the Capitol.
Trump suggested the US government should default on debt if Democrats don’t give Republicans what they want–massive spending cuts.
Trump doesn’t say if he would back Ukraine in war with Russia. He repeated his praise of Russian president Putin, calling him a smart guy, but said Putin made a bad mistake to invade Ukraine. Trump would not answer questions about whether he would continue to send US aid to Ukraine to keep fighting against Russia’s invasion and about who he wanted to win the war.
Trump, when pressed by Collins about the recent verdict on sex abuse case, said his poll numbers went up and reiterated his statements that he didn’t know Carroll.
Trump called the US Supreme Court overturning abortion rights last year a great victory. Trump dodged questions about whether, if elected president again, he would sign a national abortion ban.
———
[Sponsored Video from Sorenson: www.sorenson.com]
———
FDA: birth control & gay blood donors
There are two major announcements from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this week.
Advisers for the FDA voted unanimously on Wednesday in support of making the birth control pill Opill available over the counter, saying the benefits outweigh the risks. They believe people would use Opill safely and effectively. They feel confident that adolescents and those with limited literacy would be able to take the pill at the same time every day without the help of a healthcare worker.
It is expected to decide whether to approve the over-the-counter pill this summer. If it’s approved, this will be the first birth-control pill available over the counter in the United States. Opill is a “mini-pill” that uses only the hormone progestin.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Thursday loosened restrictions on blood donations by men who have sex with men. Before that happened, gay and bisexual men had faced a lifetime ban on blood donation. Many said it was discriminatory.
The most recent policy required men who have sex with men to wait three months after sexual contact with other men before they can donate blood. Under the new rules, prospective donors will be asked the same set of questions regardless of their gender or sexual orientation.
Japan in talks to open a NATO office
Japan’s foreign minister, Yoshimasa Hayashi, told CNN in an exclusive interview on Wednesday, saying Japan has started discussions to open a NATO liaison office. It would be the first in Asia and would be considered a major blow to Russian president Putin.
Hayashi said the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was the catalyst and the world has become more unstable because of it. He said no details have been finalized.
He added something happening in East Europe is not only confined to the issue in the region, and that affects directly the situation here in the Pacific. That’s why cooperation between us in East Asia and NATO is becoming increasingly important.
That is all the top stories for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light.
Edward Bronstein:
https://laist.com/news/criminal-justice/edward-bronstein-family-settlement-chp-24-million
https://nypost.com/2022/03/17/video-shows-death-of-california-man-while-held-down-by-cops/
https://ktla.com/news/local-news/24m-california-settlement-in-death-of-man-in-police-custody/
Daniel Perry:
https://www.texastribune.org/2023/05/10/daniel-perry-murder-austin-protestor/
Donald Trump:
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/11/us/politics/trump-cnn-town-hall-takeaways.html
https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/10/politics/takeaways-trump-town-hall-cnn/index.html
FDA:
Japan:
https://www.reuters.com/world/japan-working-towards-opening-nato-liaison-office-tokyo-2023-05-09/
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2023/05/10/commentary/japan-commentary/nato-japan-relations/