Ali Velshi talked about this case on his show this morning:




[link:https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/02/us/politics/supreme-court-rules-for-police-officer-in-excessive-force-case.html|

On Ari Melber- He's talking about text messages from Gaetz buddy Greenburg to Roger Stone offering 250K for a pardon

For those not familiar

National PAL
The World's Foremost Leader in Engaging Kids, Cops & Community

The National Association of Police Athletic/Activities League, Inc. exists to aid in the preventing of juvenile crime and violence by providing mentorship, civic/service, athletic, recreational, enrichment and educational opportunities and resources to PAL Membership Chapters. As a membership based organization, National PAL seeks to provide its Chapters with resources and opportunities to aid them within their organizational growth, as well as, to assist them within their pursuits of showcasing their unique programs and enhance the quality of individual youth engagement experiences.

[link:https://www.nationalpal.org/aboutus|

-- With some changes made to the mission. Take the focus off preventing juvenile crime. Make it about community engagement. Make it a mandatory part of the job. Or incentivize participation.

My son attended a PAL program one summer that I was broke, short on funds to send him to a paid summer program. It was a positive experience. They took neighborhood kids to the circus, blocked off neighborhood streets, played baseball, football with the kids and even opened the fire hydrant so the kids could cool off. This was 20 years ago in NYC. The following summer, PAL did not operate in my neighborhood. They had no funds.

Far too many police officers have no skin in the game. They don't know the people in the communities they serve. Communities see them as enforcers, state sanctioned terrorists. They in turn, all too often, cannot see the humanity of the people that pay to keep them employed.
They do not see black children, as children. Two black 13 year old boys fighting in the street can end up being a life changing experience. Arrested and sent to jail for something that would not happen with 2 white 13 year old boys fighting in their neighborhood.

As a health care provider, the most important tool in my tool box, is building rapport with patients. You can't have buy in without that.
Policing should be the same way. You need to build a rapport with the community.

I think this would go such a long way to not only building relationships with the communities, but may also have a significant impact on crime in areas where there is high crime. People are more likely to open up to you, if they have some kind of trust or relationship.

If you are engaged in the community. Know the local folks, it would be a lot easier to de-escalate situations. You would be able to see people as more than a threat, even on a day that may be one of the worst days of their lives. Use the rapport and good will to de-escalate and keep the peace.
Just a thought that I hope is being pursued in some way.

[link:|

A female driver was trying to do her job when she was unceremoniously attacked with racial slurs before her attacker threatened to blow her head off. All of this in front of her young child. Thank God she wasn’t hurt but more importantly she was brave enough to hit record because now appears her viral encounter may get her some justice. (see video below)

It’s now being reported that 53 year old James Thomas Rhodes of Stow, Ohio who went on that vicious racist rant, towards a black female DoorDash driver has been charged with ethnic intimidation, a fifth-degree felony; and aggravated menacing, a first-degree misdemeanor according to Stow Municipal Court records. James Rhodes who exploded on the woman repeatedly called her the N-word and threatened to shoot her with an AK-47 for delivering food in his apartment complex is also being reported have been evicted from the apartment complex where the incident occurred, and he has also been fired from his job. Allegedly. James Rhodes has pleaded not guilty and is out on a $10k bond.
][link:https://wzakcleveland.com/4114630/stow-ohio-man-evicted-fired-charged-with-a-felony-after-racist-rant/|

If you are black, smoke, or know black smokers - Hard to find folks that don't smoke Newports. That's not by mistake.

[link:https://www.npr.org/2021/04/29/991973192/fda-moves-to-ban-menthol-cigarettes-and-flavored-cigars|

Trigger Warning****
[link:|

AG Keith Ellison vs AG Daniel Cameron

This is why we cannot let up when it comes to GOTV. We should have non stop effort for people to vote in every election. Not just generals. We must continue to inform the electorate why these local elections matter.

‘We Are Not a Match’: Bumble Date Turns Capitol Rioter In to the FBI

“I made it all the way to Statuary Hall,” he said. “We are not a match,” she responded

The FBI arrested a man in connection to the January 6 Capitol riots after a prospective Bumble date turned him in. A man calling himself Robert Chapman matched with the date a week after the riots and bragged about going to the Capitol early in the conversation. “I did storm the capitol,” Chapman said in a Bumble message included in court documents. “I made it all the way into Statuary Hall!”

“We are not a match,” the Bumble date replied.

“I suppose not,” Chapman said.

Then the Bumble date began looking at Chapman’s social media presence. They found profiles for a man named Robert Erick who looked exactly like Chapman. “In addition to Complainant-1’s direct communication with Chapman wherein he admitted to entering the U.S. Capitol Building, Complainant-1 informed the FBI that he/she observed a Facebook post on a Facebook page with account profile name “funkyvunky’” court documents said.
[link:https://www.vice.com/en/article/v7eg5a/we-are-not-a-match-bumble-date-turns-capitol-rioter-into-the-fbi|

Lonng, but.a really good read.

A body of political science research finds that our criminal justice system suppresses the votes of Black people — in ways beyond the obvious.