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Protests & Violence

Massive Security Price Tag for the Chauvin Trial
National Guard presence during Chauvin trial cost $25M
Expenses topped $25 million for the Minnesota National Guard's deployment of thousands of its members around the Derek Chauvin murder trial, according to newly released invoices.

The Guard submitted its cost calculations in memos to the Minnesota Management and Budget department. Under state law, the Guard is automatically reimbursed when summoned into action and those dollars will come out of the general treasury.

Roughly 3,500 Guard members were brought into the Twin Cities at various stages of the Chauvin trial to watch over key buildings and be ready to respond if demonstrations devolved into something more severe. That represents one-quarter of the full Minnesota National Guard.

Ultimately, the Twin Cities experienced relatively little upheaval during the trial and after the Chauvin guilty verdict in the murder of George Floyd in May 2020.

Guard members are done with the mission and back to their regular lives. Some had to stay on slightly longer to repair and store equipment used during the assignment, a Guard official said.

On Tuesday, the Legislature approved and Gov. Tim Walz signed a separate $7.8 million bill to cover expenses of the Minnesota State Patrol, Department of Natural Resources and two states that sent in law enforcement personnel as part of Operation Safety Net.

The stepped-up presence was designed to avoid a repeat of the civil unrest that led to nights of violence, looting and destruction of businesses in Minneapolis and St. Paul after Floyd's death that was caught on video sparked worldwide racial justice protests. mprnews.org

Federal Indictments in the George Floyd Case
Feds plan to indict Chauvin, other three ex-officers on civil rights charges

Ex-cop would face federal charges in two cases; three others just in Floyd case.

With Chauvin's state trial out of the way, federal prosecutors are moving forward with their case. They plan to ask a grand jury to indict Chauvin and the other three ex-officers involved in George Floyd's killing - J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao - on charges of civil rights violations, a source said.

If the grand jury voted to indict, the former officers would face the new civil rights charges on top of the state's cases, meaning all four could be headed toward yet another criminal trial in federal court.

Prosecutors want to indict Chauvin in connection to two cases: for pinning Floyd down by his neck for more than 9 ½ minutes in May 2020, and for the violent arrest of a 14-year-old boy in 2017. In the latter case, Chauvin struck the teen on the head with his flashlight, then grabbed him by the throat and hit him again, according to court documents.

The other three ex-officers would be charged only in connection with Floyd's death. startribune.com

George Floyd Justice in Policing Act
Biden urges Congress to pass police reform by the anniversary of
George Floyd's death
President Joe Biden implored Congress Wednesday to pass a police reform bill by the end of May, which will mark one year since the death of George Floyd at the hands of a former Minneapolis police officer.

In his first address to a joint session of Congress, Biden emphasized the need for accountability for law enforcement officials who abuse authority when engaging with the public. He specifically pointed to the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.

"We have to come together to rebuild trust between law enforcement and the people they serve, herd out systemic racism in our criminal justice system and enact police reform in George Floyd's name," Biden said. "Let's get it done next month on the first anniversary of George Floyd's death."

The bill proposes a host of reforms to community policing, including bans on discriminatory profiling based on race or religion, mandated use of dashboard cameras and bans on chokeholds, like the one used on Floyd. It passed in the House last month and is pending a Senate vote.

The bill faces pushback from some Republicans with alternate suggestions on policing reforms. But Rep. Joyce Beatty, chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, said there's room for compromise on the measure in the Senate, noting efforts by Republican Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina to work with lawmakers. usatoday.com

Portland Police Understaffed & Unprepared for 2020 Protests
Report shows Portland PD understaffed, unprepared during historic protests
Portland police officers had an array of reasons why they thought racial justice protests in 2020 were among the largest and most enduring in the city's history: pent up energy from COVID-19 lockdowns, weak condemnation of property destruction from political leaders, the district attorney's decision not to prosecute low level offenses, and restrictions on the use of tear gas.

The bureau's after action review for civil unrest in Portland between May 29 and Nov. 16, 2020 is compiled in three reports totaling 40 pages. The report, obtained by OPB this week, paints a picture of an agency desperately understaffed and struggling to respond to massive demonstrations for which they were unprepared. But it also reveals an organization out of sync with the community they are charged with protecting, and confused by the depth of anger thousands were expressing toward local officers and policing more broadly.

Not mentioned as potential reasons for the massive protests are a laundry list of grievances against the bureau going back decades, including a well-trodden history of over policing communities of color, excessive use of force against people in mental health crises, the 40 people Portland police officers have killed since 2003 or the zero officers who have been indicted for those killings.

The bureau documented more than 6,000 uses of force against protesters through Sept. 30, with squads each reporting six to 12 uses of force per night, according to the after action report. During a typical crowd control event, that would be "at most a couple of uses of force," the document states.

Officers are required to fill out a report for each use of force. The bureau said that system is not well adapted to the high volume of force incidents and prolonged crowd control situations officers dealt with for months. The report also blames fatigue among officers and supervisors for the comparatively low quality of the report narratives and the review process. opb.org

Hundreds of Seattle PD Officers Resign Over 'Anti-Police Climate'
Over 200 Seattle police officers quit amid national protests
The Seattle Police Department said more than 200 officers have left their jobs since last year. The departing officers have cited what they call an anti-police climate in Seattle, City Council policies and disagreements with police department leadership.

Police Chief Adrian Diaz said Tuesday that the department is in what he called a staffing crisis.

Exit interviews reveal that some departing officers retired early and that others left for policing jobs in different cities or private sector jobs. The City Council is considering new cuts of $5.4 million to the police department's budget.

Durkan is cautioning against additional cuts and activists have applauded the reductions. kiro7.com

Protest PTSD?
Brooklyn Center residents near police station fear returning home
They thought living near a police department would make them feel safer, but residents in the apartments across the street from the Brooklyn Center Police Department say clashes with protesters earlier this month after the police shooting of Daunte Wright made them feel more at risk. Now they're asking the city to take action.

At a city meeting Wednesday night with the mayor and city council members, apartment residents said the city has left them high and dry with no protection and no resources to heal from the trauma they've endured.

Many of the residents who live across the street from the police station said their children are traumatized after experiencing night after night of loud flash bangs and pepper spray seeping into their apartments. With groups still gathering outside every night, they are still dealing with noise and security issues.

The residents asked the city to provide support in the form of rental assistance so they can move and mental health support so that their kids especially can work through the fear and anxiety they've developed. fox9.com

Hennepin County board votes against motion condemning use of tear gas, rubber bullets on protesters

Minneapolis, MN: Man sentenced to four years in prison for police station fire at George Floyd protest
 

COVID Update

235M Vaccinations Given

US: 32.9M Cases - 588.3K Dead - 25.5M Recovered
Worldwide: 150.3M Cases - 3.1M Dead - 127.8M Recovered

Former Senior Loss Prevention Executive
Know of any fallen LP exec? Let's remember & recognize.

Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 279   Law Enforcement Officer Deaths: 290
*Red indicates change in total deaths

COVID Cases Continue to Fall as Vaccines Tick Up
Virus cases decline significantly in more than half of U.S. states
over past two weeks
More than half of U.S. states have seen a significant decline in new coronavirus cases over the past two weeks, as federal health officials suggest that the virus's trajectory is improving. Still, the uneven distribution of vaccinations point to the challenge of persuading reluctant Americans to get vaccinated.

As of Wednesday, the United States was averaging over 52,000 new cases a day, a 26 percent decline from two weeks ago, and comparable to the level of cases reported in mid-October before the deadly winter surge, according to a New York Times database. Since peaking in January, cases, hospitalizations and deaths nationwide have drastically declined.

Over the past two weeks, case numbers have fallen by 15 percent or more in 27 states and the District of Columbia, with drops of 30 percent or more in 14 states. As of Tuesday, Vermont reported a 54 percent decline in the average number of new cases a day, while Michigan, which had one of the nation's most severe recent outbreaks, is now seeing rapid improvement with cases there down 40 percent.

In New York City, which had seen stubbornly high caseloads for months, the second wave is receding a half-year after it started, the city's health commissioner said. nytimes.com

NYC Prepping to Open 'Full Strength' This Summer
New York City plans to fully reopen on July 1, Bill de Blasio says
New York City plans to fully reopen on July 1, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Thursday. "Our plan is to fully reopen New York City on July 1," de Blasio told MSNBC. "We are ready for stores to open, for business to open, offices, theaters, full strength," he said.

De Blasio cited strong coronavirus vaccination numbers in the city as a reason for the reopening.

As of Wednesday, more than 6.3 million shots had been administered in the city, according to NYC Health. Nearly 2.4 million people there have been fully vaccinated, the agency added.

De Blasio's announcement comes a day after New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that seating in bars in New York City would resume on May 3. businessinsider.com

California Is Reopening Quickly as COVID Fades
L.A.'s remarkable achievement: Rapid economic reopening as COVID fades fast
Los Angeles County is poised to potentially reopen its economy to an extent that would have been unthinkable in the not-too-distant past.

The possible move to the yellow tier - the most lenient of California's four-category color-coded reopening system - could happen next week as the coronavirus continues to recede throughout the region.

It's a remarkable achievement for a county that just three months ago was considered in some corners to be the national epicenter of COVID-19, with hundreds dying each week and hospitals pushed to the brink. It was only about six weeks ago that the county moved out of the state's most restrictive purple tier, in which indoor operations are suspended or severely limited across a host of business sectors.

According to state data released Tuesday, the county's rate of new coronavirus cases, adjusted based on the number of tests performed, had dropped to 1.9 per day per 100,000 people. latimes.com

Pandemic Price Gouging
Bay Area grocery store owner 'flagrantly' price gouged customers at the start of the COVID pandemic
A Bay Area grocery store owner pled guilty last Wednesday to two counts of "flagrant" price gouging after officials found that items in the shop were marked up by up to 300%.

Rajvinder Singh, the 51-year-old owner of Pleasanton grocery store Asia Bazar, formerly known as Apna Bazar, struck a plea bargain with the Alameda County Superior Court - dismissing seven of the nine counts leveled against him in May.

"The law prevents businesses from profiteering during a declared state of emergency," District Attorney Nancy O'Malley said in a statement. "This case marks the first successful prosecution in Alameda County for price gouging in the time of the pandemic."

According to the initial complaints filed last May, at least nine essential items were flagrantly marked up in the matter of days. California law permits businesses to raise prices up to 10 percent following a proclamation or declaration of emergency. sfgate.com

The Rise of 'Hybrid Shoppers'
U.S. grocery shoppers head back to stores as COVID-19 vaccinations rise

Over a third plan to buy food both in-store and online, Inmar survey reveals

U.S. grocery shoppers are gradually returning to in-store purchases as more Americans receive COVID-19 vaccines, a new survey from Inmar Intelligence finds.

Once fully vaccinated, 27% of consumers said they plan to do most of their grocery shopping at stores, while 38% will do so both in-store and online, Inmar said Tuesday.

Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Inmar noted that food shoppers already have been coming back to physical stores. The survey revealed that 33% of U.S. consumers are now buying their groceries in stores, with 48% of respondents remaining as hybrid shoppers making brick-and-mortar and online purchases, indicating a "steady return to normalcy" and a higher level of comfort with in-store shopping, according to Inmar.

Americans also are eager to return to dining out. As more restaurants and bars start reopening, 85% of consumers said they plan to eat out more often, including indoor or outdoor dining, Inmar said. supermarketnews.com

Pill to treat COVID-19 could be available year's end, Pfizer CEO says
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla told CNBC on Tuesday that the drugmaker is working to introduce an experimental drug to treat the disease at its onset by year-end. Pfizer in March began an early-stage clinical trial of a new antiviral therapy for the coronavirus, which has killed more than 573,000 Americans.

Should clinical trials prove successful and the Food and Drug Administration approves the drug, it could be available across the nation later in 2021, Bourla said. cbsnews.com

Michigan will ease specific COVID restrictions as 4 vaccination goals are reached

Non-essential retail to return in May as Ireland begins to lift COVID restrictions
 

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$150 Million Chipotle Lawsuit
Chipotle Is Sued by New York City Over Scheduling Practices

The city seeks $150 million in relief for employees, accusing the fast-food giant of "complete disregard" of a law governing workweeks.

New York City on Wednesday sued the fast-food giant Chipotle Mexican Grill over what it says are hundreds of thousands of violations of a fair scheduling law at several dozen stores.

Workers are owed over $150 million in relief for the violations, according to the complaint, and financial penalties could far exceed that amount, making it the largest action the city has brought under the law.

The suit cites violations of the so-called Fair Workweek Law that include changing employees' schedules without sufficient notice or extra pay; requiring employees to work consecutive shifts without sufficient time off or extra pay; and failure to offer workers additional shifts before hiring new employees to fill them.

The allegations cover the period from November 2017, when the law took effect, to September 2019, when the city filed an initial suit involving a handful of Chipotle stores. The new complaint, filed by the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection at the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings, said that Chipotle had made some attempt to comply with the law since 2019, but that violations were continuing.

"Since we first filed our case against Chipotle, we have unfortunately learned that those initial charges were just the tip of the iceberg," the department's commissioner, Lorelei Salas, said in a statement. nytimes.com

Publix Store Security Officer Cleared in Tasing Incident
Officer who shocked woman with Taser in front of children at Publix acted appropriately, police review says

The incident sparked a $50,000 lawsuit against Publix

An officer, whose use of a Taser on a woman in a Publix parking lot sparked a lawsuit, acted appropriately, according to an internal review by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.

An Internal Affairs report obtained by First Coast News says Jacksonville Sheriff's Officer Kevin Munger "had the required probable cause" to arrest Tawanda Crowell in February 2020 and that she was "arrested without violence."

According to a report, Crowell was hit with a stun gun in a car with three children in February 2020 after a store employee suspected her of stealing from the Publix on 103rd Street.

Munger, who was working off duty as store security, followed her to her car and asked to see her receipt. Crowell allegedly refused, accusing Munger of racial profiling. She also declined to provide her ID, but offered to return to the store with Munger to watch the store's surveillance footage, which she said would prove her point, a report says.

Munger declined to return to the store and eventually used his stun gun on her. A video shows her blouse being ripped off during the takedown. She was arrested, though the State Attorney's Office later dropped the charges. Crowell did eventually produce the receipt that proved she did not steal any items. She later told police she was afraid to give Munger her receipt for fear he might destroy it.

The suit claims the store failed to properly train Munger and seeks damages in excess of $50,000 for physical and mental trauma. firstcoastnews.com

Retailers Plan Price Increases
Diapers, Cereal and, Yes, Toilet Paper Are Going to Get More Expensive

Retailers used to absorb much of the cost of goods when suppliers raised prices. Now, the difference is being passed on to shoppers.

These price increases reflect what some economists are calling a major shift in the way companies have responded to demand during the pandemic.

Before the virus hit, retailers often absorbed the cost when suppliers raised prices on goods, because stiff competition forced retailers to keep prices stable. The pandemic changed that.

It created chaos and confusion in global shipping markets, leading to shortages and price increases that have cascaded from factories to ports to stores to consumers. When the pandemic hit, Americans' shopping habits shifted rapidly - with people spending money on treadmills and office furniture instead of going out to eat in restaurants and seeing movies at theaters.

This, in turn, put enormous pressure on factories in China to produce these goods and ship them across the Pacific in containers. But the demand for shipping outstripped the availability of containers in Asia, yielding shortages that resulted in higher shipping costs.

Whether the increased prices will stick, or eventually come down, is a topic of debate among economists. Some predict that prices will normalize within one to two years, as the economy continues to gain steam, the job market improves and those who lost jobs during the pandemic increasingly return to work. nytimes.com

Consumer Spending & Stimulus Checks Boost Economy
U.S. Economy Grew Robustly in First Quarter

GDP grew 6.4% in the first quarter as the government distributed Covid-19 stimulus checks and consumers stepped up spending

U.S. gross domestic product rose at a 6.4% annual rate in the first quarter, expanding a consumer-led rebound from the pandemic. The U.S. economy appears to have expanded rapidly in the first quarter, extending what economists project will be a robust, consumer-led recovery from the pandemic this year.

In the first quarter as more people received a Covid-19 vaccine, states and cities lifted business restrictions, and stimulus payments landed in bank accounts. Consumer confidence rose in April to the highest level in 14 months, the Conference Board said Tuesday. wsj.com

BJ's cutting HQ office space to address hybrid work reality
BJ's Warehouse Club is relocating to a new 190,000-square-foot headquarters building that is about two-thirds the size of its former base of operations. "The new office space in Marlborough will feature a modern design and an open floor plan, creating a more collaborative work environment for team members," the company said. "Additionally, the new space will be equipped with the technology infrastructure needed to effectively support hybrid work." retailwire.com

Weekly jobless claims fall to new post-lockdowns low

Marco's Pizza pipeline robust with 200-plus locations in development

L.L. Bean to expand footprint in U.S., Canada; resume 24/7 hours at flagship

Debenhams confirms locations of 52 store closures as part of liquidation

Walmart increases funding access for minority-owned suppliers

Florida is set to make 'alcohol to-go' drinks permanent