The Countdown: Death of Tyre Nichols renews talks of George Floyd Policing Act
In this edition of 'The Countdown,' we dive deeper into the celebration of life ceremony held Wednesday for Tyre Nichols.
Mourners, from Vice President Kamala Harris to the activist the Rev. Al Sharpton, celebrated the life of Nichols, whose death at the hands of police in Memphis led to second-degree murder charges against five officers.
There was one common theme behind all of their poignant messages: what exactly is the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, and why has it not been passed.
The legislation bans chokeholds and no-knock warrants in certain cases. It also mandates data collection on police encounters and alters qualified immunity for law enforcement, which protects law enforcement officers from most civil lawsuits.
The bill passed the democratically-controlled House in 2020 but never made it through the Senate which was controlled by Republicans at the time.
It also failed to clear the Senate in 2021 when lawmakers could not agree on the qualified immunity provision.
Only time will tell whether the Tyre Nichols case and pleas from family members will change things.
Here are the other headlines from Wednesday's show:
African American Studies
The official curriculum for a new Advanced Placement course on African American studies downplays some components that drew criticism from conservatives including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who had threatened to ban the class in his state. In the framework released on Wednesday, topics including Black Lives Matter, slavery reparations and queer life are not part of the exam. They are included only on a sample list states and school systems can choose from for student projects.
Tom Brady Retires
Tom Brady announced his retirement -- again -- in a video on Twitter on Wednesday morning.
"I know the process was a pretty big deal last time so when I woke up this morning I figured I'd just press record and let you guys know first," the 45-year-old quarterback said in the video. "You only get one super emotional retirement essay, and I used mine up last year."
"Thank you guys for allowing me to live my absolute dream. I wouldn't change a thing," Brady said.
The NFL great said his retirement this time is "for good." He briefly retired after last season only to return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for one more season.
You can watch 'The Countdown' live Monday-Friday at 6:30 p.m. on ABC7NY.com or our ABC7NY app on Roku, FireTV, Apple TV and Android TV.
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