National
White House backs off May 25 police reform deadline
The White House is backing off a May 25 deadline to pass police reform legislation, leaving timing up to lawmakers who are still engaged in bipartisan negotiations in both chambers of Congress.
“We are in close touch and we certainly defer to the expectations of the key negotiators,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Thursday when pressed on the timeline, citing positive feedback on the ongoing conversations from South Carolina Republican Sen. Tim Scott and New Jersey Democratic Sen. Cory Booker.
Biden had set the May 25 goal — the anniversary of George Floyd’s death — during his joint address to Congress in April, Psaki said, “because he feels it’s important to be bold, to be ambitious, and that’s exactly what he feels we’re hopefully working toward.”
The Democrat-led House of Representatives passed the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act in March. The legislation was initially passed in the House in 2020, but was never passed by the Senate. It includes provisions to set up a national registry of police misconduct, a ban on racial and religious profiling by law enforcement and overhaul qualified immunity.
Talks between both parties in the House and Senate are ongoing. But the House entered a work period after their votes on Thursday and won’t return to Washington until June, making passage all but impossible ahead of the President’s deadline next week.
“The most important thing is that we have a bill that hits the President’s desk, not the date that it does,” Rep. Karen Bass, a California Democrat, told reporters Tuesday. But Bass has confirmed that she will remain in Washington next week as in-person talks continue.
Earlier this week, one of the key sticking points that remained was Section 242, the federal law that sets the standard for criminally prosecuting police. And some progressive Democrats have balked at the idea of any compromise on key issues like Section 242 and qualified immunity.
Asked if progress had been made on the Section 242 issue, Booker said, “We are working hard on making sure there’s real accountability for police officers, both civil and criminal. And that’s my goal, it was in the Justice in Policing Act, but this is a negotiation. This bill can’t get done if it doesn’t have Senate Republican support, not just some support, it’s really got to be like the First Step Act where you see a significant amount of senators on both sides supporting it.”
Psaki said the White House will commemorate the solemn anniversary of Floyd’s death.
Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, died at the hands of Minneapolis police officers in 2020, sparking demonstrations against racism and police brutality around the country.
“We will certainly mark the anniversary as it was a moment that impacted millions of Americans and certainly the President on a personal level,” she said.
By: NBC Palm Springs
May 20, 2021
Latest Instagram Posts
School board trustee wears “FAFO” shirt to court deposition. Drop your thoughts in the comments 👇🏽 #therogginreport #coachellavalley #localnews #explore #nbcpalmsprings
Estevan Figueroa of King’s Club Barbershop is giving back across the Coachella Valley — one haircut at a time. He and his team recently gave dozens of free haircuts to kids at the Boys and Girls Club in Cathedral City. Figueroa also provides clothing, essentials and encouragement to people in need. Inspired by lessons from his father, he’s now started a nonprofit to help even more people in the community. “Look good, feel good.” @barbercipactli Read the full story at NBCPalmSprings.com.
9 months. 5 deposition notices. 1 no-show. What is this official hiding under oath? Let us know what you think in the comments 👇 #therogginreport #jesusgonzalez #localnews #coachellavalley #nbcpalmsprings
Social Time with Thalia & Jerry
Tim O’Brien at the Coachella Valley Firebirds training camp!!
BREAKING NEWS 🚨: Murder Suspect Vicky Kim has made a court appearance for the first time in almost two weeks amidst medical delays and two refusals. Today she plead NOT GUILTY to all charges of killing her husband. She is set to appear October 7th for her preliminary hearing. Be sure to visit nbcpalmsprings.com for more information on this case. #breakingnews #courtnews #vickykim #coachellavalley #760
Social Time with Thalia & Jerry. Did you catch the bug that’s going around?
Talking With Thalia: GLP-1 medications have become a popular tool for weight loss, but what you eat while taking them matters, too. Local dietitian Jessica Brantley Lopez shares the importance of protein, complex carbohydrates, fiber and hydration, along with why smaller, more frequent meals may help manage side effects and support healthy weight loss. Jessica also opens up about her own experience with GLP-1 medication and how it changed her approach to helping others. Talking With Thalia is sponsored by DAP Health. Watch the full conversation at NBCPalmSprings.com. #TalkingWithThalia #DAPHealth #GLP1 #WeightLoss #Nutrition Dietitian HealthToday CoachellaValley PalmSprings NBCPalmSprings
Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery are one step closer to completing their $110 billion merger after a coalition of 12 state attorneys general reached a settlement with Paramount. The settlement resolves the states’ antitrust lawsuit, though it still requires court approval. The agreement includes commitments involving film production, workers and editorial independence for CNN and CBS News. California AG CNN’s Brian Stelter reports. #Paramount #WarnerBrosDiscovery #ParamountMerger #CNN #Hollywood #Media #Merger #Entertainment
A high-speed police chase in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, came to a dramatic end when the vehicle plunged into Lake Como. Dashcam video released by police shows the pursuit before the car crashes into the water. Four people inside the vehicle were pulled from the lake with no serious injuries reported. Police say the driver was charged with reckless driving. Watch the video and get more at NBCPalmSprings.com.