A specialized law enforcement unit in the Memphis Police Department has been permanently disbanded after gaining renewed scrutiny in the fallout of Tyre Nichols' death.
The big picture: All five officers charged in the fatal beating of Nichols were part of the Scorpion unit, which is charged with combating violent crime. Civil rights leaders say the deadly assault escalates the need to reexamine these types of forces across the country.
The Memphis Police Department has permanently disbanded the special unit Scorpion in the wake of murder charges brought against five of its members in connection to Tyre Nichols' death.
The big picture: The announcement comes less than 24 hours after the city released police bodycam and security surveillance footage that showed multiple officers kicking, punching and striking Nichols with a baton as he screamed for help and pleaded for them to stop.
Former President Trump on Saturday said he's angrier and more committed than ever as he kicked off his 2024 presidential bid in New Hampshire, per AP.
Driving the news: "We’re starting. We’re starting right here as a candidate for president," Trump said while delivering the keynote address for the state Republican Party's annual meeting in Salem, New Hampshire, on Saturday morning.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R) signed a controversial bill Saturday that would ban gender-affirming health care and hormone therapy for transgender children and teenagers.
The big picture: The move follows similar legislation enacted in other GOP-led states amid a larger wave of anti-trans bills, many of which target youth.
The city of Memphis on Friday released footage showing police officers fatally beating Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man who died days after he was pulled over during a traffic stop.
Driving the news: Police body camera and neighborhood security camera footage from Jan. 7 show multiple Memphis Police Department (MPD) officers kicking, punching and striking Nichols with a baton as he screamed for help and pleaded for them to stop.
Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) on Friday joined a group of House Republicans opposed to kicking Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) off the Foreign Affairs Committee, putting the high-profile effort dangerously close to failing.
Why it matters: It could lead to another destabilizing loss for Republicans on the House floor just weeks after House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) took 15 ballots to capture the speaker’s gavel amid defections from his party.
The big picture: After almost three years, the amount of aid provided to low-income families to combat food insecurity through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will return to pre-pandemic levels.
Why it matters: The program is currently on hold while the Supreme Court considers a legal challenge brought by a coalition of GOP-led states. Millions of borrowers will remain in limbo until the court's ruling, which is expected this summer.
Driving the news: Prosecutors said that experts at the state mental hospital have identified symptoms of schizophrenia in suspect Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, who was sent to the facility after Judge Ingrid Bakke first deemed him mentally incompetent in December 2021.
