NFL: Prescott pledges $1M to improve police training, address racism

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott pledged $1 million over social media in a bid to improve police training and address systemic racism.

Prescott's lengthy Instagram post on Wednesday comes on the heels of the death of George Floyd, a Minneapolis man who died in police custody on May 25.

Police officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, was arrested and charged with third-degree murder after pressing his knee on the neck of Floyd, an African American, for more than eight minutes. Chauvin was also charged with second-degree manslaughter.

"As a black multiracial American, I am disgusted and unsettled!" Prescott wrote. "... As our communities take action, protesting and fighting for the justice of George Floyd and every black life, I am with you!"

Prescott, 26, addressed the members of law enforcement.

"To the men and women that police our streets, I have the utmost respect for those of you with a passion for protecting and serving our communities," Prescott wrote. 

"When you chose to wear a badge of a police officer, you pledged to PROTECT life and property through the enforcement of our laws and regulations. How can you claim to uphold the law when those within your ranks don't abide by it? You need to hold your own accountable! Each of your are as guilty as the men who stood beside Derek Chauvin if you do not stand up against the systemic racism plaguing our police forces nationwide."

Prescott set career highs in 2019 with 4,902 passing yards and 30 touchdown passes.

-reuters-

Five police shot during protests after Trump vows to bring in US military

WASHINGTON/MINNEAPOLIS - At least five US police were hit by gunfire during violent protests over the death of a black man in police custody, police and media said, hours after President Donald Trump vowed to use the military to halt the unrest.

Trump deepened outrage on Monday by posing at a church clutching a bible after law enforcement officers used teargas and rubber bullets to clear the way for him to walk there after he made his remarks in the White House Rose Garden.

Demonstrators set fire to a strip mall in Los Angeles, looted stores in New York City and clashed with police in St Louis, Missouri, where four officers were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

"Officers are still taking gunfire downtown & we will share more info as it (becomes) available," St Louis Police said on Twitter.

A police officer was also shot during protests in the Las Vegas Strip area, AP news agency said, quoting police. Another officer was "involved in a shooting" in the same area, the agency said without giving details.

It did not give details of the shootings or the officers' condition. Police declined to comment to Reuters.

Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak said in a tweet his office had been notified of two separate incidents in Las Vegas. "The State is in contact with local law enforcement and continues to monitor the situation," he said.

Trump has condemned the killing of George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American who died after a white policeman pinned his neck under a knee for nearly nine minutes in Minneapolis on May 25, and has promised justice.

But, with anti-police brutality marches and rallies having turned violent after dark each day in the past week, he said rightful protests could not be drowned out by an "angry mob".

"Mayors and governors must establish an overwhelming law enforcement presence until the violence has been quelled," Trump said. "If a city or state refuses to take the actions that are necessary to defend the life and property of their residents, then I will deploy the United States military and quickly solve the problem for them."

Floyd's death has reignited simmering racial tensions in a politically divided country that has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, with African Americans accounting for a disproportionately high number of cases.

CRITICISM OF CHURCH VISIT

Following his address, Trump walked through an area that had been cleared by police to nearby St. John's Episcopal Church, where he posed for pictures with his daughter, Ivanka, and US Attorney General William Barr.

The presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church diocese in Washington DC, Michael Curry, was among those who criticized Trump's use of the historic church for a photo opportunity.

"In so doing, he used a church building and the Holy Bible for partisan political purposes," he said on Twitter. The church suffered minor fire damage during protests on Monday night.

The White House said it was clearing the area before a curfew.

A few hours later, thousands of people marched through Brooklyn, shouting "Justice now!" while some passing drivers honked in support.

Television images showed crowds smashing windows and looting luxury stores along Fifth Avenue in Manhattan before the city's 11 p.m. curfew. Mayor Bill de Blasio said the curfew would be moved to 8 p.m. on Tuesday.

Two police officers were struck by a car at a demonstration in Buffalo, New York, on Monday night. Officials said the driver and passengers were believed to be in custody. It was not clear whether the incident was intentional.

In Hollywood, dozens of people were shown in television images looting a drug store. Windows were shattered at a nearby Starbucks and two restaurants.

AUTOPSIES

A second autopsy ordered by Floyd's family and released on Monday found his death was homicide by "mechanical asphyxiation," or physical force that interfered with his oxygen supply. The report says three officers contributed to his death.

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner later released autopsy findings that also called Floyd's death homicide by asphyxiation. The county report said Floyd suffered cardiopulmonary arrest while being restrained by police and that he had arteriosclerotic and hypertensive heart disease, fentanyl intoxication and recent methamphetamine use.

Derek Chauvin, the 44-year-old Minneapolis police officer who kneeled on Floyd, was arrested on third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter charges. Three other officers involved in the arrest have not been charged.

Floyd's death was the latest case of police brutality against black men that was caught on videotape and prompted an outcry over racism in US law enforcement.

Dozens of cities are under curfews not seen since riots after the 1968 assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. The National Guard deployed in 23 states and Washington, D.C.

Most Americans were just emerging from weeks of strict "stay-at-home" orders imposed over the pandemic.

-reuters-

Truck driver arrested after Minneapolis protest scare

MINNEAPOLIS - A tanker driver was arrested in the US city of Minneapolis Sunday after driving his vehicle at speed on a bridge packed with protesters taking part in an anti-racism march, officials said.

Although there were no immediate reports of protesters being hurt, the driver himself was taken to hospital after being hauled from his vehicle, the governor of Minnesota told reporters. 

"I don't know the motives of the driver at this time but at this point in time, to not have tragedy and many deaths is simply an amazing thing," Tim Walz said.

Television footage showed that several hundred protesters were on the bridge which had been closed to traffic when the truck suddenly appeared. It was not immediately clear if the truck had breached a barricade or had been given permission to enter.

Although he did not drive straight at the bulk of the crowd, the driver showed little sign of slowing down and some of the protesters could be seen desperately running to the side of the road before the truck eventually came to a halt.

In a statement, the local police department said that the unnamed truck driver had been taken to hospital "with non-life threatening injuries".

"He is under arrest. It doesn’t appear any protesters were hit by the truck," it added.

The footage evoked memories of the murder in 2017 of an anti-racism protester in the city of Charlottesville who was killed when a white supremacist drove his vehicle into a crowd.

Minneapolis has been the scene of large-scale protests since last Monday when a black man called George Floyd died while being arrested by a white police officer who pinned his knee on his neck for around eight minutes.

Agence France-Presse

NBA great Michael Jordan speaks out on death of George Floyd: 'We have had enough'

Basketball great Michael Jordan voiced outrage on Sunday over the death of George Floyd, a black man shown on video gasping for breath as a white policeman knelt on his neck in Minneapolis, an incident that has triggered violent nationwide protests.

Jordan said his heart went out to the family of Floyd and others who have died through acts of racism.

"I am deeply saddened, truly pained and plain angry," Jordan, a Basketball Hall of Famer and owner of the National Basketball Association's Charlotte Hornets, said in a statement. "I see and feel everyone's pain, outrage and frustration.

"I stand with those who are calling out the ingrained racism and violence toward people of color in our country. We have had enough."


The comments from Jordan came as many U.S. cities were bracing for another night of unrest after cleaning up streets strewn with broken glass and burned-out cars as curfews failed to quell confrontations between protesters and police.

Jordan, a six-time NBA champion who was at the heart of the Chicago Bulls' dynasty in the 1990s, called on people to show compassion and empathy and never turn their backs on senseless brutality.

"We need to continue peaceful expressions against injustice and demand accountability," said Jordan. "Our unified voice needs to put pressure on our leaders to change our laws, or else we need to use our vote to create systemic change.

"Every one of us needs to be part of the solution, and we must work together to ensure justice for all."

(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Peter Cooney)

-reuters-

‘Stop killing black people’

Protesters gather at the scene where George Floyd, an unarmed black man, was pinned down by a police officer kneeling on his neck who later died in a hospital in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. Tuesday. Four Minneapolis officers were fired over the death of Floyd who was seen lying face down in the street, gasping for air, while a white policeman knelt on his neck for several minutes.

-reuters-

Minneapolis to pay police shooting victim's family $20 million

NEW YORK, United States - Minneapolis city officials on Friday announced a $20 million settlement with the family of an Australian woman who was fatally shot by a police officer in 2017, just days after the officer was convicted of crimes associated with the killing.

The settlement of a civil suit brought by the family of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, which came after 2 days of talks, includes $18 million for the family and $2 million to be donated to an anti-gun violence group, city officials said.

"This is not a victory for anyone, but rather a way for our city to move forward," Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said in announcing the settlement at a news conference.

"And I do believe that we will move forward together, united in the belief that such a tragedy should never have occurred in our city," he said.

Damond, 40, had called police on the night of July 15, 2017 to report a possible sexual assault outside her house. When Damond approached the patrol car that responded, Officer Mohamed Noor fired a shot through a window of the car, killing her.

The incident drew international criticism, including from Australia's prime minister, who called the incident "shocking."

Noor, 33, who is no longer with the force, testified at his trial that he acted in self-defense after he and his partner Matthew Harrity, who was driving, heard a loud noise.

But a jury on Tuesday convicted him of third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. The prosecutor said it was the first time a police officer in Minnesota was convicted of murder.

A wave of killings of black men and teens by US police in recent years has prompted street protests, but in this case Damond was white and Noor is a black Somali immigrant.

City officials said $2 million of the settlement, which the City Council unanimously approved and the mayor said he would sign off on, will go to the Fund for Safe Communities of the Minneapolis Foundation, which said on its website that it supports "community-led efforts to address gun violence."

"We know that no amount of money can heal the pain of the Ruszczyk family, or any family that has lost a loved one in this way," said City Council President Lisa Bender. "It is our continued commitment to work together with our community to demand and support change to our policing."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

JD.com CEO returns to China after arrest in US sexual misconduct case

BEIJING - The CEO of JD.com Inc, Richard Liu, has returned to China, the Chinese e-commerce giant said on Monday, days after he was arrested by police in the U.S. city of Minneapolis on suspicion of criminal sexual conduct and later released.

Police said an investigation was ongoing.

JD.com, has said that the accusation against Liu, 45, was unsubstantiated.

"He has been released without any charges, and without requirement for bail. Mr. Liu has returned to work in China," the company said in a brief statement late on Monday, referring further questions to two U.S.-based lawyers representing Liu.

The lawyers, based in Minneapolis, could not immediately be reached by Reuters for comment.

Minneapolis police said on Sunday that "an active investigation" was underway, although it was possible for the billionaire founder of the firm to leave the United States.

Reuters has not been able to reach Liu for comment.

"We don't know if there will be charges or not because we haven't concluded an investigation," John Elder, a spokesman for the Minneapolis Police Department, told Reuters on Sunday. He declined to provide details of the arrest.

In addition to making Liu the highest-profile Chinese businessperson to be accused publicly of sexual misconduct, the case has raised concerns that loss-making Nasdaq-listed JD.com could face difficulties making decisions due to its unusual governance structure.

The company is backed by Walmart Inc, Alphabet Inc's Google and China's Tencent Holdings.

JD.com's rules require Liu, who holds nearly 80 percent of the company's voting rights, to be present at board meetings for the board to make decisions, although it was not immediately clear if he has to be physically present or could participate by teleconference.

"I'm not aware of any other company that has similar rules," said Chris Leahy, co-founder of advisory firm Blackpeak and a corporate governance expert.

"If the board isn't quorate without Richard Liu, if he is unable to attend, and if there are no other provisions that offer a way round that, the company could become ungovernable," he said.

The Financial Times, citing two people with direct knowledge of the matter, reported that the case involved Liu, who is a student in the University of Minnesota's doctor of business administration program, and a Chinese student at the university.

While the doctoral program primarily takes place in Beijing in partnership with the prestigious Tsinghua University, the students were in the Twin Cities last week as part of their training. According to its website, the program is designed for top-level executives working in China, and the average age of participants is 50.

The complaint against Liu was made just before midnight local time on Friday, and he was released just after 4 p.m. on Saturday, according to the Hennepin County Sheriff website.

University spokeswoman Emma Bauer referred questions to the Minneapolis Police Department.

China's foreign ministry said its consulate in Chicago was closely watching the situation.

"We are currently seeking information and verification from the relevant U.S. departments," foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a regular Beijing news conference on Monday.

SELF-MADE BILLIONAIRE

Chinese social media was abuzz over the arrest, with a thread on Liu's police booking photo ranking as the most discussed topic on China's Weibo platform on Monday morning, read more than 250 million times.

JD.com, one of China's tech heavyweights, competes with larger rival Alibaba Group, and Liu has a net worth of $7.9 billion, according to Forbes. The company, worth some $45 billion, has seen its stock lose 24 percent of its value this year amid concerns of weakening growth momentum.

The company has been in and out of the red for the past year and last month reported a second-quarter net loss of $334.4 million - almost twice market estimates - reflecting increased investment.

Liu built JD.com from scratch. In 1998, he spent 12,000 yuan ($1,760) of his savings to lease a four-square-metre retail space in Beijing's technology hub of Zhongguancun, setting up a firm that would become JD.com. He is also known for his marriage to Chinese internet celebrity Zhang Zetian.

Zhang, described by Chinese media as 24, shot to fame while a student in 2009 when a photo of her holding a cup of milk tea went viral, giving her the nickname "Sister Milk Tea". She met Liu while studying in the United States and married him in 2015.

In July, a court in Australia denied Liu's efforts to block the release of his name in association with a sexual assault trial in which he was not accused of any wrongdoing, according to a court document.

In that case, Liu had hosted a party in late 2015 at his luxury home in Sydney, after which one of his guests accused another guest of sexually assaulting her at a hotel. The defendant was found guilty of seven offenses, according to a court document.

Trade in JD.com shares is set to resume on Tuesday as U.S. markets are closed for the Labor Day holiday on Monday.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

US sports bar chain to open in PH

MANILA, Philippines - Buffalo Wild Wings Inc. will enter the Philippines later this year as they agreed terms with a local restaurant operator, marking their first foray in Asia.

The Minneapolis-based sports bar signed with The Bistro Group, whose local operations include Italianni's, TGI Friday's and Bulgogi Brothers, to start construction on branches in Makati and Manila.

"We are thrilled to continue our international expansion to the Philippines with The Bistro Group, and bring our wings, beer and exciting sports experience to even more guests across the globe," said Sally Smith, chief operating officer and president of Buffalo Wild Wings.

"The Philippines has passionate sports fans, who we believe will love the great atmosphere at Buffalo Wild Wings, as well as enjoy a menu filled with our classic hot fresh wings, and local favorites," she added.

Matt Brokl, vice president of international development at Buffalo Wild Wings, felt that the Philippines was the "natural choice" in Asia, considering it to be among the fastest growing economies in the region.

"The economy is growing faster than China`s and with an expanding middle class, there is a lot of enthusiasm for casual dining. The exciting sports atmosphere of the restaurant will fit perfectly with sports fans in the Philippines," Brokl said.

Buffalo Wild Wings Inc. has more than 940 branches in the US, and has recently expanded internationally with 13 branches in Canada and the announcement of plans in Mexico and the Middle East.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

'Mary Tyler Moore Show' house for sale in Minneapolis

Love may not be all around, but snow is certainly around the Minneapolis house used for exterior shots on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," which is on the market at $2.895 million.

The 9,500-square-foot home, built in 1900 and sitting on one-third acre, represented the exterior of the star's apartment in the classic 1970s sitcom. The Victorian features such period details as a turret, ornate millwork, bayed rooms and leaded-glass transom windows. There are two family rooms, a turret office, an exercise room, seven bedrooms, nine bathrooms and a three-car garage.

The property last sold in 2007 for $2.8 million, public records show.

Barry Berg and Chad Larsen of Coldwell Banker Burnet are the listing agents.

source: latimes.com