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Alleged cellphone video of Georgia shooting sparks outrage

AP has not been able to verify the source of this video, tweeted Tuesday, which is said to show Ahmaud Arbery running in a neighborhood outside Brunswick, Ga., on Feb. 23, as a pickup truck stops in front of him. Photo: Twitter via AP

In Georgia, the parents of a black man slain by two white men armed with guns called for immediate arrests yesterday as they faced the prospect of waiting a month or longer before a grand jury considers charges, the AP reports.

The state of play: The mother of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery, Wanda Cooper Jones, told reporters her son "was just out for his daily jog."

  • The men who pursued him told police they suspected he had committed a recent burglary.

The father and son acknowledged they grabbed guns and pursued Arbery in a truck after seeing him running.

  • They haven't been arrested. The father is a retired investigator for the county district attorney's office.

A swelling outcry over the Feb. 23 shooting was bolstered by a cellphone video that, according to lawyers for Arbery's family, shows the killing.

  • Following the video's release, demonstrators marched in the neighborhood.
  • The Georgia Bureau of Investigation opened an investigation, which the state's Republican governor and attorney general pledged to support.

Joe Biden tweeted: "The video is clear: Ahmaud Arbery was killed in cold blood. My heart goes out to his family, who deserve justice and deserve it now. It is time for a swift, full, and transparent investigation into his murder."

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Barak Ravid, author of from Tel Aviv
1 min ago - World

Abbas announces first Palestinian elections in 15 years

Abbas is 85 and in the 15th year of a 4-year term. Abbas Momani/AFP via Getty

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas published a decree announcing the dates for parliamentary and presidential elections in the Palestinian Authority.

Why it matters: This is the first time in 15 years that such a decree has been published. The last presidential elections took place in 2005, with Abbas winning, and the last parliamentary elections took place in 2006, with Hamas winning.

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Axios
Updated 7 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

  1. Health: Coronavirus deaths reach 4,000 per day as hospitals remain in crisis mode — America has tuned out the coronavirus at the peak of its destruction — 1 in 3 people in L.A. County believed to have been infected with coronavirus.
  2. Politics: Biden taps ex-FDA chief to lead Operation Warp Speed amid rollout of COVID plan— Widow of GOP congressman-elect who died of COVID-19 will run to fill his seat — Joe Biden will seek nearly $2 trillion in COVID relief spending.
  3. Vaccine: Battling Black mistrust of the vaccines — "Pharmacy deserts" could become vaccine deserts — Instacart to give $25 to shoppers who get vaccine.
  4. Economy: Unemployment filings explode again — Fed chair: No interest rate hike coming any time soon —  Inflation rose more than expected in December.
  5. World: WHO team arrives in China to investigate pandemic origins.
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Dan Primack, author of Pro Rata
1 hour ago - Economy & Business

Trump blocks banks from limiting loans to gun and oil companies

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Big banks are no longer allowed to reject business loan applicants because of the industry in which they operate, according to a new rule finalized on Thursday by the Trump administration.

Why it matters: Wall Street has curtailed its exposure to industries like guns, oil and private prisons, driven by both public and shareholder pressures. This new rule could reverse that trend.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow