Brothers, ages 6 and 7, killed while driving grandparents’ car
Two young Missouri brothers, ages 6 and 7, died in a crash after taking their grandparents’ car out for a joyride, authorities said.
The boys died Friday in rural Jackson County when their grandparents’ 2007 Buick LaCrosse went airborne at least twice after running off East Blue Mills Road and hitting a guardrail, according to a Missouri Highway Patrol crash report obtained by KSHB.
The Buick, which was driven by the 7-year-old, then struck a nearby wire before rolling over as it hit a tree and ultimately caught fire in a creek, authorities said.
The identities of the boys, who were from Independence, have not been released, KSHB reports.
The young driver lost control of the Buick just before it went off an embankment, WDAF reports.
Speed is believed to be a “contributing factor” in the crash, including why the vehicle flipped and landed on its roof, Missouri Highway Patrol Sgt. Andy Bell told NBC News.
The youngsters also drove through a field during their unauthorized ride, Bell said.
“It’s pretty unique, to say the least, and devastating,” Bell told NBC News.
Investigators were looking into how the boys initially took possession of the Buick, Bell said.
Neither boy was wearing a seat belt at the time, KCTV reports.
via: https://nypost.com/2020/06/02/young-missouri-brothers-who-took-grandparents-car-die-in-crash/
Photo Credit: twitter
Saks Fifth Avenue is wrapped in razor wire to prevent looting
Saks Fifth Avenue surrounded its flagship Manhattan store with razor wire on Tuesday to keep thieves from smashing their way in and making off with troves of expensive merchandise, The Post has learned.
The luxury retailer has also hired private security guards with specially trained dogs to protect the premises in the wake of Monday night’s looting of Macy’s iconic, Herald Square location.
At Saks, workers on Tuesday afternoon began attaching chain-link fencing to plywood that was previously installed to cover the luxury store’s famed display windows.
The second phase of the job saw workers further fortify the fencing with a coil of razor wire along the top edge.
At least seven German shepherds, Belgian Malinois and pit bull dogs were also on hand, along with guards who will use them to patrol outside the store in an attempt to deter looters amid the ongoing protests over the racially charged, May 25 police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
“God willing, I hope they don’t show up and it goes smoothly,” one guard said.
The guard noted that the dogs “aren’t friendly.”
n addition to the fencing and the guards, Saks rented four massive floodlights — at a total cost of more than $16,000 — to illuminate the streets surrounding the store, sources said.
The NYPD has access to live video from rooftop surveillance cameras on Saks and other nearby luxury retailers, and planned to monitor the feeds as the night progressed, police sources said.
Extra cops were also deployed to the area in the wake of increased violence and looting during the protests that began in the city on Thursday, the sources said.
Several hundred protesters who were marching along Fifth Avenue passed by Saks shortly after 7 p.m., chanting slogans that included “George Floyd,” “Black lives matter” and “I can’t breathe.”
The latter slogan echoed the pleas of Floyd, who was black, as white cop Derek Chavin — since charged with third-degree murder — was recorded kneeling on his neck.
The commotion caused by the protesters sparked a loud round of barking from the dogs and many people in the crowd paused to snap photos of the excited canines.
A contingent of about 30 NYPD cops in riot gear followed the activists as they continued marching north.
At Macy’s, scores of crooks were recorded swarming an entrance to the self-proclaimed “world’s largest store” shortly before a citywide curfew went into effect at 11 p.m. Monday.
The brazen lawlessness there and elsewhere in the city led Gov. Andrew Cuomo to declare that Mayor Bill de Blasio and the NYPD “did not do their job” and President Trump to tweet “Bring in National Guard!”
Tuesday’s curfew was pushed up to 8 p.m., with non-essential traffic barred in Manhattan south of 96th Street.
via: https://nypost.com/2020/06/02/saks-fifth-avenue-is-wrapped-in-razor-wire-to-prevent-looting/
Photo Credit: nypost.com
Kate Hudson’s Fabletics brand cuts ties with influencer Myka Stauffer
Kate Hudson’s Fabletics is one of a host of brands that have canceled ties with influencer Myka Stauffer after she announced she had “rehomed” her adopted son, Huxley, because of his “medical needs,” including autism.
Ohio-based YouTuber Stauffer and her husband revealed last week they had given up the Chinese-born 4-year-old after adopting him in 2017. Huxley was given to another family even though Stauffer once gushed, “I wouldn’t trade him [for] anything!” in a 2018 Instagram post, which doubled as a paid ad for Dreft laundry detergent for newborns.
When asked by a fan, Hudson said on Instagram that Stauffer was “terminated.”
Other brands that have cut ties with Stauffer include Playtex Baby, Chili’s Suave and Big Lots.
Article via PageSix
Music industry to go silent for Black Out Tuesday following George Floyd protests
The music industry is planning to turn off the music and hold a day to reflect and implement change in response to the death of George Floyd and the killings of other black people.
Several top record labels organized Black Out Tuesday as riots erupted around the world sparked by Floyd’s death as well as the killings of Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor. Music-based companies Live Nation and TikTok, as well as the Recording Academy, posted to social media that they planned to support and stand with the black community.
“On Tuesday June 2nd, Columbia Records will observe ‘Black Out Tuesday,’” the Sony label home to Beyoncé, Bob Dylan, Adele and John Legend said in a statement. “This is not a day off. Instead, this is a day to reflect and figure out ways to move forward in solidarity.”
“We continue to stand with the Black community, our staff, artists, and peers in the music industry,” the company continued. “Perhaps with the music off, we can truly listen.”
https://www.instagram.com/columbiarecords/?utm_source=ig_embed
Resources, ways to donate: How you can take action from home after the death of George Floyd
Others that have joined Black Out Tuesday include the Sony imprints RCA Records and Epic Records; the Universal Music Group divisions Republic Records, Def Jam, UMG Nashville, Capitol Records and Island Records; and the Warner Music Group imprints Atlantic and Warner Records. Smaller, independent labels as well as music publishing companies and management firms have also signed on.
UMG’s Interscope Geffen A&M said that in addition to joining Black Out Tuesday, the label home to Lady Gaga and Kendrick Lamar would not release music this week — the first label to do so.
“Instead, IGA will contribute to organizations that help to bail out protesters exercising their right to peacefully assemble, aid lawyers working for systemic change and provide assistance to charities focused on creating economic empowerment in the Black community,” its statement read.
IGA postponed new music releases MGK, 6lack, Dylan, Jessie Ware, Smokepurp, Lil Mosey, Billy Raffoul, Max Leone and more in coordination with their partners Alamo, LVRN, The Darkroom, Bad Boy and more.
MTV, VH1, CMT and others go dark for 8 minutes and 46 seconds
At 5 p.m. ET/PT today, MTV and the Entertainment & Youth Group brands of ViacomCBS are going dark and suspending all programming for 8 minutes and 46 seconds – the length of time former Minneapolis Police Department Officer Derek Chauvin had his knee on Floyd’s neck before he died, according to the Hennepin County Attorney’s complaint.
8 minutes, 46 seconds and ‘inherently dangerous’: What’s in the criminal complaint in the George Floyd case
MTV, Comedy Central, Paramount Net, Pop, VH1, TV Land, CMT + Logo will all participate.
Musicians including Rihanna, Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Lil Nas X, Demi Lovato, Post Malone and Harry Styles have spoken out following Floyd’s death and the worldwide riots. Jay-Z released a statement late Sunday calling for Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison to prosecute those responsible for killing Floyd.
“I, along with an entire country in pain, call upon AG Ellison to do the right thing and prosecute all those responsible for the murder of George Floyd to the fullest extent of the law. This is just a first step. I am more determined to fight for justice than any fight my would-be oppressors may have,” Jay-Z said. “I prevail on every politician, prosecutor and officer in the country to have the courage to do what is right. Have the courage to look at us as humans, dads, brothers, sisters and mothers in pain and look at yourselves.”
Racial tensions were also running high after two white men were arrested in May in the February shooting death of black jogger Arbery in Georgia, and after Louisville, Kentucky, police shot Taylor to death in her home in March.
The R&B duo Chloe x Halle, who will release their sophomore album “Ungodly Hour” on Friday, posted a cover of the classic civil rights anthem and protest song “We Shall Overcome” to Instagram.
“This week has been very heavy for all of us. We’ve been trying to, not understand, because there’s no way to understand the terrible killings — we just have heavy hearts this week and are just trying to do everything we can to pray and lift each other up with our voices,” Halle said in an interview with The Associated Press.
“With everything going on, we felt like music can be very healing, because it’s been that way for us in kind of keeping us sane during this time,” Chloe added. As much as we could, we just wanted to share our gift of song to even just lift spirits for even a few seconds.”
Article via USAToday
Nike releases ‘Don’t Do It’ ad in wake of George Floyd death
For once, Nike is telling its fans “Don’t Do It.”
But the twist on its famous slogan is for a good cause: a public service announcement tackling racism in the wake of the death of George Floyd, which has led to protests throughout the country.
Instead of the athletic company’s famed, “Just Do It” slogan, the short Instagram video begins with the words, “Don’t Do It.”
“For once, Don’t do It. Don’t pretend there’s not a problem in America. Don’t turn your back on racism. Don’t accept innocent lives being taken from us. Don’t make any more excuses. Don’t think this doesn’t affect you. Don’t sit back and be silent,” reads the all-text post, featuring white letters on a black background.
“Don’t think you can’t be part of the change,” says the ad posted Friday, before transitioning to read, “Let’s all be part of the change.”
Nike is known for tackling racism, backing Colin Kaepernick amid the controversy over his decision to kneel during the national anthem while a member of the NFL as a peaceful protest.
Kaepernick later successfully lobbied Nike to pull a controversial Fourth of July shoe featuring the Betsy Ross flag, which has been considered racially offensive, from its shelves.
Nike also previously teamed up with Kaepernick on a “Just Do It” ad campaign that received high praise.
In the ad, Kaepernick pleads, “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.”
Last year, the company partnered with Kaepernick to release sneakers with his likeness which sold out in a single day.
via: https://nypost.com/2020/05/30/nike-releases-dont-do-it-ad-in-wake-of-george-floyd-death/
Photo Credit: instagram
Woman punches Baltimore cop twice before another knocks her out
Shocking video posted to Twitter shows a brazen, barefoot woman punch a Baltimore cop twice in the face — and then knocked out cold by another officer.
Video of the Friday night incident shows the woman shouting at officers before one grabs her arm and she attempts to walk away.
She then punches the cop in the face, before a second officer grabs her arms from behind.
But she breaks free and connects fist to face again.
That’s when another officer threw a punch — sending the woman straight to the ground.
Her body appeared to be limp for several seconds before she was seen lifting her head slightly, as an officer stood over her, the footage shows.
Mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young said Saturday the unidentified officer who threw the punch had been “removed from police duties,” the Baltimore Sun reported.
“I believe the first officer, who was struck multiple times by the woman, showed remarkable restraint by not retaliating as he was being assaulted,” Young said in a statement.
“The woman should have been placed under arrest and not assaulted. Our system of justice does not involve the concept of an ‘eye for an eye.’ ”
Baltimore was among the many cities across the US that broke out in protest Friday night over the death of George Floyd in police custody.
via: https://nypost.com/2020/05/30/male-baltimore-cop-knocks-woman-out-in-shocking-video/
Photo Credit: nypost.com
NYPD officer plows into crowd of George Floyd protesters in Brooklyn
An NYPD SUV was caught on camera ramming into a group of protesters in Brooklyn Saturday during the city’s third night of chaotic demonstrations over the death of George Floyd.
The shocking clip opens with the NYPD SUV idling in the middle of Flatbush Avenue near St. Marks Avenue in Prospect Heights, with dozens of protesters pressing a metal barricade up against the vehicle as they threw bottles and traffic cones its way.
Eventually, a second NYPD SUV pulls up alongside the first vehicle and slowly drives around the barricade and toward protesters.
Seconds later, the officer behind the wheel of the first SUV rams into the barricade, knocking others to the ground among shrieks of horror.
The incident occurred shortly before 8 p.m., according to Twitter user Pierre Garapon, who posted the clip.
An NYPD spokesperson did not immediately comment on the clip or say if there were injuries caused by the incident.
Mayor de Blasio, speaking late Saturday on NY1, called the incident “troubling,” but added, “if those protesters had just gotten out of the way and not created an attempt to surround that vehicle, we would not be talking about this situation.”
The chilling clip caught the eye of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The Queens-Bronx Democrat tweeted her outrage, calling for the cops behind the wheel to be “brought to justice.”
Saturday brought hundreds more out to the streets of New York to protest the killing of Floyd, the Minneapolis black man who died after a cop knelt on his neck during an arrest.
Protesters have set several police vehicles on fire and damaged many others during demonstrations in Brooklyn and Queens over the last two days. Police have relied on mace and batons in their attempts to quell riots.
The footage came just hours after Gov. Andrew Cuomo condemned a “disturbing” series of filmed clashes with protesters Friday night, ordering state Attorney General Letitia James to investigate police conduct.
via: https://nypost.com/2020/05/30/nypd-officer-plows-into-crowd-of-george-floyd-protesters-in-brooklyn/
Photo Credit: nypost.com
Man dragged by FedEx truck dies during night of George Floyd protests in St. Louis
DOWNTOWN ST. LOUIS (KMOV.com) — A man was killed after being dragged by a FedEx truck overnight in downtown St. Louis during a night of protests, police said Saturday.
The incident happened near N. Broadway and O’Fallon shortly after 3:00 a.m. The man was taken to a hospital where he later died, police said.
Police said the truck was forced off Interstate 70 due to protesters on the roadway. The truck got off onto North Broadway, heading toward Cass. While on N. Broadway, police said, the driver stopped the truck due to additional protesters in the road.
Bystander Jared Arms captured a video of protesters blocking off a section of the road with their cars and setting something on fire when the FedEx truck approached. As it came to a halt, a crowd of protesters surrounded the front of the truck and began banging and climbing onto the passenger side. Police said two people standing on the passenger side footboard of the truck pointed guns at the driver.
Demonstrators were also seen running off with packages from the trailer.
The truck driver, fearing for his safety police said, sounded his horn then drove from the Interstate 70 ramp to North Broadway and Cass.
Cries of “back the truck up” and “someone is under the truck” can be heard from Arms’ video. A man, who was seen standing between the truck’s two trailers, was dragged by the semi truck just moments later. Police said the driver did not know the victim was there.
The man was caught by the trailer tire, pulled under and run over by the trailer tire, police said. He was taken to a hospital where he later died.
His name has not yet been released by police.
Demonstrators tried to chase after the driver but weren’t able to catch up to the truck.
Hundreds of protesters marched in the streets overnight in downtown St. Louis to demand justice for George Floyd. Floyd was killed after a Minneapolis officer kneeled on his neck while handcuffed.
Interstate 70 was shut down for nearly three hours as protesters blocked traffic.
A spokesperson from FedEx released the following statement regarding the incident:
Our hearts go out to all those who are grieving the events of this week. We are deeply saddened to learn of a tragic situation involving a demonstrator in St. Louis and one of our vehicles. We offer our sincerest condolences to the family of the individual involved. There is no higher priority for FedEx than safety, and we are cooperating fully with the investigating authorities at this time.
Photo Credit: kmov.com
Every Person Arrested In Saint Paul Last Night Was From Out Of State, Mayor Says
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, along with mayors Jacob Frey and Melvin Carter, on Saturday condemned violent protests in the state, blaming organized outside groups for promoting unrest, while also announcing that they will fully mobilize the Minnesota national guard.
“Lets be very clear, the situation in Minneapolis is no longer in any way about the murder of George Floyd,” Walz said in a press conference. The violent unrest has now turned into attacks on civil society, “instilling fear and disrupting our great city.”
“I want to be very, very clear: The people that are doing this are not Minneapolis residents,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey added. “They are coming in largely from outside of the city, from outside of the region, to prey on everything we have built over the last several decades.”
According to Saint Paul Mayor Melvin Carter, every person arrested in the city last night was from out of state: “We don’t know these folks,” he reiterated.
Department of Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington confirmed evidence of white supremacist groups trying to incite violence; Many posted messages online that encouraged people to go loot in Minneapolis and cause mayhem.
Walz, who also announced that he would fully mobilize the Minnesota national guard for the first time in 164 years, called the unrest “an organized attempt to destabilize civil society with no regard for civil life or property.”
The dynamic has changed over the last couple days, Walz, Carter and Frey said. Protests gradually shifted from being peaceful on Tuesday, but as more people came from outside of the city, they’ve turned increasingly violent in recent days.
“Our great cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul are under assault by people who do not share our values, who do not value life and the work that went into this, and certainly who are not here to honor George Floyd,” Walz said. “So if you are on the streets tonight, it is very clear: You are not with us.”
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
“This is no longer about protesting… This is about violence and we need to make sure that it stops,” Frey said. “We’re in the middle of a pandemic right now.” The protection of citizens and property is the top priority, Walz and Frey confirmed on Saturday. “That situation can be expected to deteriorate further with these people,” Walz said, adding that violent protestors are being fed professional tactics in urban warfare by outside groups.
Photo Credit: JOHN AUTEY/PIONEER PRESS VIA ASSOCIATED PRESS
Atlanta cop to George Floyd protesters: ‘You have a right to be pissed off’
A black cop in Atlanta won over dozens of protesters angry about the death of George Floyd, telling them that they had “a right to be pissed off” and defending them against his fellow cops.
The unidentified black officer kept calm during the violent melee Friday night, telling the demonstrators that he has talked with his own children about racism, TMZ reported.
He even came to the defense of the protesters, pushing back on the cops who were bellowing orders over a loudspeaker.
“What was going on up here was wrong,” the cop told the crowd in the video posted by TMZ. “That’s why we brought it to a stop. The loudspeaker. The yakking and the yapping. We said, ‘pause,’ let these people remain here, let them stay in the street, let them express their grievances because they have a right to be pissed off.”
Someone yelled, “Well, over there they don’t feel the same way.” The cop responded, “That’s why I told them to shut the f–k up.”
Demonstrations, many violent, have broken out in cities nationwide since Floyd’s death Monday. Floyd, who was black, died after a white police officer, Derek Chauvin, knelt on his neck during his arrest. Chauvin is facing murder and manslaughter charges.
Atlanta’s protests turned fiery as crowds stormed CNN’s headquarters, hurling a small explosive at police as the network covered the protest live. The fireworks-like incendiary device was tossed at officers manning a barricade at the front entrance of the building. Demonstrators also broke the windows to the building’s first floor and covered its facade with anti-police graffiti.
via: https://nypost.com/2020/05/30/atlanta-cop-says-george-floyd-protesters-have-right-to-be-pissed-off/
Photo Credit: nypost.com