Monterrious Harris, a 22-year-old Memphis man, has filed a $5 million lawsuit against the city and five former officers charged in the fatal arrest of Tyre Nichols. The lawsuit alleges that Harris was punched, kicked, and slammed onto a concrete walkway three days before the fatal arrest, and that one of the officers involved in the fatal beating of Nichols took photos of Harris after he was pepper-sprayed, kicked, and hit by police. The lawsuit seeks damages for Harris' physical and emotional injuries, and for the violation of his civil rights.
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The Pentagon has confirmed that the U.S. military failed to detect at least three Chinese spy balloon flights over the United States in recent years, but that this does not represent an intelligence failure. Sources have reported that the balloons are part of a global surveillance program run by Beijing, and the U.S. military will continue to monitor and collect information on them in order to detect and act on them in the future.
Crusius pleaded guilty to 90 federal charges in the El Paso federal courtroom, including hate crimes and firearms violations, but the U.S. government has said it will not seek the death penalty. The state case is still pending, with the district attorney who had been leading the case resigning in November due to accusations of incompetence.
A Florida judge has ruled that Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, must be deposed in a defamation case brought against the Duchess by her half-sister, Samantha Markle. Markle is seeking damages in excess of $75,000 for “defamation and injurious falsehood”, claiming that Meghan made “demonstrably false and malicious statements” during a 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey. The judge rejected a request from the couple to avoid testifying in the case, sparking a great deal of controversy. It remains to be seen how the case will play out and what the consequences will be for the Duchess of Sussex.
Madonna has taken to social media to express her frustration at the ageism and misogyny she has experienced after a close-up photo of her face went viral online. She lamented being "caught in the glare of ageism and misogyny that permeates the world we live in," adding that the world "refuses to celebrate women past the age of 45 and feels the need to punish her if she continues to be strong-willed, hard-working, and successful." Madonna has been a vocal advocate for women's rights and gender equality for many years and has used her platform to speak out against ageism and misogyny.
The Walt Disney Co. has announced that it will be cutting 7,000 jobs from its global workforce, amounting to about 3% of its total employees. The job cuts are part of a cost-cutting effort and are part of a “significant transformation” for the media and entertainment giant, as CEO Bob Iger is under pressure to revive the company's financial fortunes and its stock price. The job cuts come as a shock to many and it remains to be seen how the company will adjust to the changes and how its employees will be affected.
Dr. Thom Mayer, medical director of the NFL Players Association, gave an optimistic prognosis on the playing future of Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, who went into cardiac arrest after a tackle in a game against the Cincinnati Bengals last month. Mayer said Hamlin will play professional football again, and with the medical attention he received on the field, it appears he may have a chance to return to the field.
President Joe Biden visited Wisconsin to make his case for a strong economy and to continue the fight for the social safety net, highlighting US manufacturing and calling out Republican lawmakers who had previously expressed support for cuts to Social Security and Medicare. The union workers in the room cheered his commitment to protecting these programs, and Biden's message is likely to be a major theme of his 2024 campaign in the battleground state.