Sep 18, 2018

Brooklyn Diocese agrees to $27.5 million settlement for 4 sex abuse cases

Members of the Archdiocese of New York and the Diocese of Brooklyn. Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images.

Four men received a $27.5 million settlement from the Diocese of Brooklyn on Tuesday, after they previously came forward about being sexually abused as children by a religion teacher in that diocese, reports the New York Times.

Why it matters: This is one of the largest settlements ever in relation to victims of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church. In early September, the New York Attorney General subpoenaed eight Catholic diocese as a part of a state-wide investigation. Since the findings in Pennsylvania, attorneys general in Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico and New Jersey have also investigated or are beginning to look into sexual abuse allegations from the Catholic church.

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Axios

30 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Buffalo police officers suspended after shoving elderly man

Photo: Mike Desmond/WBFO via AP

Two Buffalo police officers were suspended without pay Thursday night after video emerged of them violently shoving a 75-year-old man to the ground while clearing a protest in the wake of George Floyd's killing in the city’s Niagara Square, WBFO reports.

The state of play: Before WBFO’s video of the incident went viral, a Buffalo police spokesman issued a statement that said "one person was injured when he tripped and fell."

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Margaret Harding McGill

1 hour ago - Technology

As techlash heats up again, here's who's stoking the fire

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

As controversies around online speech rage against a backdrop of racial tension, presidential provocation and a pandemic, a handful of companies, lawmakers and advocacy groups have continued to promote a backlash against Big Tech.

The big picture: Companies like Facebook and Google got a reputational boost at the start of the coronavirus lockdown, but that respite from criticism proved brief. They're now once again walking a minefield of regulatory investigations, public criticism and legislative threats over antitrust concerns, content moderation and privacy concerns.

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Joann Muller

2 hours ago - Economy & Business

Cities are retooling public transit to lure riders back

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

After being told for months to stay away from others, the idea of being shoulder to shoulder again in a bus or subway terrifies many people, requiring sweeping changes to public transit systems for the COVID-19 era.

Why it matters: Cities can't come close to resuming normal economic activity until large numbers of people feel comfortable using public transportation.

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