jtrent238 test blog: Evening Briefing: Sixth officer suspended in Tyre Nichols death

January 30, 2023

By Matthew Cullen and Daniel E. Slotnik

Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Monday.

A protest outside a Memphis police station on Sunday.Desiree Rios/The New York Times

1. A sixth Memphis police officer was suspended in connection with the death of Tyre Nichols.

The Memphis Police Department said today that Officer Preston Hemphill had been placed on administrative leave in connection with Nichols's death. According to the police report, Hemphill used a stun gun that hit Nichols in the torso shortly after another officer had pulled over Nichols on Jan. 7.

Others involved in the encounter have also been taken off duty. The Memphis Fire Department suspended two of its emergency medical technicians who treated Nichols, and two Shelby County sheriff's deputies have been relieved of duty, pending investigations.

On Saturday, Memphis announced that it would disband the unit, known as Scorpion, that included the five officers charged with second-degree murder for their part in the events. A Times analysis found that officers gave dozens of contradictory and unachievable orders to Nichols during the encounter, and video evidence offered a starkly different account of police violence than what the officers had reported themselves.

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U.S. officials are concerned about a potential major escalation in violence in Israel.Ronaldo Schemidt/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

2. The U.S. secretary of state visited Israel amid a turbulent moment for the country.

After a meeting today with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, Antony Blinken, the American diplomat, expressed America's "steadfast support" for Israel. But he also reiterated America's support for a two-state solution with the Palestinians and emphasized the importance of "core democratic principles and institutions," an apparent reference to Netanyahu's proposed judicial reforms.

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Blinken also pleaded with Israelis and Palestinians to prevent a cycle of retribution after a bloody Israeli military raid in the West Bank and terrorist attacks within Jerusalem left more than 20 people dead in recent days.

In other international news, at least 59 people were killed when a suicide bombing ripped through a mosque in Peshawar, Pakistan.

The Manhattan inquiry is one of several ongoing investigations into Donald Trump.John Tully for The New York Times

3. Prosecutors began presenting evidence to a grand jury about Trump's role in a 2016 hush money case.

The panel began hearing evidence today in a case that centers on Donald Trump's role in paying hush money to the porn star Stormy Daniels during his 2016 presidential campaign, laying the groundwork for potential criminal charges against the former president.

The decision by the Manhattan district attorney to present evidence to the grand jury represents a dramatic escalation in an inquiry that once appeared to have reached a dead end. But a conviction is not a sure thing, in part because the case could hinge on showing that Trump falsified records to hide the payout days before the 2016 election.

In related news, in the months since Trump was kicked off several large social media networks two years ago, his online presence has grown only more extreme.

A poster showing a Russian fighter near Wagner headquarters in St. Petersburg, Russia.Olga Maltseva/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

4. Convicts are returning to Russia after fighting in Ukraine.

Since July, around 40,000 inmates have joined Russian forces, recruited by Wagner, Russia's largest private military company. The convicted soldiers were promised freedom for their service.

Thousands of them have been killed, Russian rights advocates have said. But dozens have begun filtering back to Russia this month, potentially confronting Russian society with the challenge of reintegrating thousands of traumatized men with military training, a history of crime and few job prospects.

In other news from the war, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine asked allies to speed up delivery of important weapons.

A speech Wednesday by the Fed chair, Jerome Powell, will be closely watched by investors.Claudio Bresciani/TT News Agency, via Associated Press

5. The Fed is expected to raise rates — but more slowly — this week.

Most economists expect Federal Reserve officials to raise their interest rates by a quarter point after their meeting on Wednesday. The moderating speed of increases will give officials time to assess how high rates need to rise and how long they need to stay elevated to fully wrangle inflation. The answers will help to determine how much damage the Fed inflicts on the labor market and broader economy in its quest to control price increases.

In other economic news, many on Wall Street believe that the Treasury Department will "prioritize" payments on its bonds in order to avoid a default on U.S. debt. But that untested idea has significant flaws, making it less of a bulwark against disaster than many are counting on.

Also, the used-car boom is coming to an end.

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Matt Gaetz has represented Florida's 1st district since 2017.Kenny Holston/The New York Times

6. What will Representative Matt Gaetz do with his new powers?

Gaetz, who has built a reputation as a far-right political arsonist adored by the Trump wing of the G.O.P., joined a group of Republican insurgents who wangled significant political power by delaying the appointment of Kevin McCarthy as House speaker. What he plans to do with his new clout has become a matter of intense speculation in Washington.

"I am not some 'Lord of the Flies' nihilist," he told our colleague Robert Draper. His chief aim, he said, is to bring egalitarianism to a legislative process dominated by lobbyists and powerful committee chairmen. But he was cagier about how he intended to use his influence on issues like funding for Ukraine and the debt ceiling.

In other political news, here's a look at some of what the nation's new governors have done in their first weeks in office.

The Korean company Kakao is behind "Girl's Re:verse," a K-pop-in-the-metaverse show.Jun Michael Park for The New York Times

7. Want to know if the metaverse is the future? Take a look at South Korea.

The Korean entertainment industry — typically the world's testing ground for all things technological — has embraced the virtual world far more than in the U.S. One company is developing a K-pop band that exists only in cyberspace, and popular Korean "virtual influencers," who look real but aren't, promote very real brands, like Chevrolet and Gucci.

But while South Korea may be "leagues ahead" when it comes to synthetic pop stars, whether its companies take a leading role as the metaverse evolves "is an open question," one expert said.

In other technology news, Ford said it was reducing prices and increasing production of its top-selling battery-powered vehicle, in the latest sign of intensifying competition in the electric car market.

Quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes, left, and Jalen Hurts.David Eulitt/Getty Images; Chris Szagola/Associated Press

8. The Super Bowl will be a matchup of heavyweights.

The N.F.L.'s biggest game will, for the first time in five years, pit the top two teams from the regular season against each other. The Philadelphia Eagles, who routed the San Francisco 49ers yesterday, will take on the Kansas City Chiefs, who beat the Cincinnati Bengals with a last-second field goal.

The Super Bowl will feature two Black starting quarterbacks for the first time in history, with the 24-year-old Jalen Hurts leading the Eagles against Patrick Mahomes, the 27-year-old Chiefs star. The game takes place on Feb. 12.

In other sports news, Donald Trump's golf courses will host three tournaments this year for LIV Golf, the breakaway league that Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund is underwriting. And the N.H.L. superstar Bobby Hull died at 84.

Melissa Schriek for The New York Times

9. How long does it take to get fit again?

When it comes to cardiovascular fitness and muscle strength, the adage is true: Use it or lose it. Taking weeks or months off from regular exercise can undo many of the health benefits of an active life, in a phenomenon known as fitness loss.

But retaining those benefits can be simple. For example, you can use "fitness snacks" when there's no time for lengthier sessions. And, while everyone is different, getting back in shape is easier for lapsed exercisers than the habitually sedentary.

In other fitness news, cleanses and detoxes might make you feel better, but not for the reasons you may think.

Mohandas Gandhi was killed on Jan. 30, 1948. Associated Press

10. And finally, remembering Mohandas Gandhi.

Gandhi helped lead India into its independent future less than a year before he was gunned down by a Hindu nationalist. His concept of nonviolent resistance to fight injustice has inspired political movements around the world.

In a famous, impromptu elegy, Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of an independent India, promised that the light brought by Gandhi would "illumine this country for many more years. And a thousand years later, that light will be seen."

Seventy-five years after his assassination, The New York Times gathered archival photos to tell the story of one of the most celebrated men on earth.

Have an enlightened evening.

Brent Lewis compiled photos for this briefing.

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