🐤 Chappelle gets the axe

Ex-Cop Gets 2.5 Years: Of four former Minneapolis police officers arrested on charges related to the 2020 death of suspect George Floyd, Thomas Lane was determined to be the least culpable. Nevertheless, he was found guilty of violating Floyd’s civil rights and sentenced on Thursday to more than two years in prison. For the victim’s brother, Philonise Floyd, the sentence was “insulting,” adding: “You’re a police officer who was sworn to protect, who took an oath, and you didn’t get the maximum amount of time.”

Biden Has COVID: Despite being fully vaccinated, President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday. The White House issued a statement describing his symptoms as “mild” and Biden himself addressed the nation in a social media video later in the day. He appeared to be in good spirits and said he is “keeping busy” and “doing great.”

Polio Resurfaces In New York: With COVID-19 and monkeypox posing their own risks to the population, now a virtually eradicated disease is making headlines. Polio, which has not been diagnosed in the United States in almost 10 years, was identified in a New York patient this week. Rockland County officials indicated that it appeared to be a form of the disease that is derived from the oral polio vaccine, though the vaccine has not been given in America for more than two decades. Health professionals said the patient was partially paralyzed, though it is unclear whether the paralysis will be permanent.

Fans of controversial comedian Dave Chappelle received a curveball on Wednesday when a Minneapolis, Minnesota, theater abruptly canceled the show in response to public backlash.

In a social media announcement, First Avenue apologized to “staff, artists, and our community” for booking Chappelle, who has received criticism for content that some people perceive as transphobic.

Despite the denunciation from his critics, the comic remains a popular draw for venues across the country – and it wasn’t long before another local theater decided to host him instead. The show ultimately went on, albeit at the Varsity Theater on the other side of town.

As for First Avenue, its statement on the matter asserted: “We know we must hold ourselves to the highest standards, and we know we let you down.”

Should comedy be a safe space?

The theater reiterated its “mission” to create “the safest space in the country.”

While plenty of social media users expressed support for First Avenue’s decision, many others determined that canceling Chappelle’s show was antithetical to its own stated belief in “diverse voices and the freedom of artistic expression.”

Chappelle’s recent Netflix special, “The Closer,” opened him up to criticism for his stated views about transgenderism, though he vehemently denied that his jokes were rooted in bigotry. In May, a 23-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of jumping on stage and assaulting the comedian during a performance in Los Angeles, California.

Nearly a month after dozens of undocumented immigrants were found dead in the rear of a semi truck in San Antonio, Texas, two men are in police custody on federal charges related to the incident. Christian Martinez, 28, and 46-year-old Homero Zamorano Jr. were indicted this week and both face criminal counts related to transporting migrants resulting in death.

A total of 53 victims died after they were left in the abandoned truck trailer on June 27. Several survivors were transported to local hospitals to be treated for serious illnesses caused by exposure to extreme heat and seven later died.

Authorities discovered the heartbreaking scene after a passerby heard noises coming from inside the vehicle. Although the trailer was equipped with a cooling component, it was apparently not operable when the migrants were left inside.

First responders said that the survivors felt very hot upon being rescued and were experiencing severe symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

As San Antonio Fire Department Chief Charles Hood explained: “They suffered, horrendously, could have been for hours.”

Martinez and Zamorano could be locked up for the rest of their lives if convicted, or U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland might push for the death penalty.

After a lower court moved to prevent the Biden administration from implementing new immigration enforcement policies, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a ruling on Thursday declining to overrule the decision.

The matter has not been put to rest, however, and the high court is set to revisit the case later this year.

The vote was her first as a Supreme Court justice.

In a 5-4 split decision, the minority indicated a desire to allow the White House to start enforcing its proposed immigration rules. In addition to Justices Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor, and Amy Coney Barrett, the court’s newest member – Ketanji Brown Jackson – joined in the dissent.

The Supreme Court heard the case in response to an emergency request filed by the Department of Justice, which sought to override the lower court’s ruling that prevented federal authorities from prioritizing arrests, detentions, and deportations of undocumented immigrants believed to be the most dangerous.

The Biden administration’s proposal is similar to a Biden-era policy that was rescinded by the Trump administration and replaced with a stricter process.

In describing the directive last year, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas wrote: “The department’s personnel are to use their discretion and focus the department’s enforcement resources in a more targeted way.”