Indictments in Memphis death:Â The district attorney in Shelby County Tennessee, Steve Mulroy, announced indictments in the death of Tyre Nicholas, a Black man who died three days after being beaten by five Black Memphis police officers after he was stopped for a traffic violation. Indicted on second-degree murder and other charges were five Memphis police officers who were fired as a result of what happened. A police video, which is said to show the beating taking place is due to be released this evening.
FBI goes after ransomware hackers:Â Attorney General Merrick Garland announced that the FBI has gone after the Hive ransomware group that has targeted more than 1,500 victims in over 80 countries, including hospitals, school districts and financial firms. The FBI penetrated Hive”™s computer networks and saved victims from having to pay $130 million in ransom. In coordination with Germany and the Netherlands, the FBI seized control of the servers and websites that Hive uses to communicate with its members, disrupting Hive’s ability to attack and extort victims. Garland said, “Cybercrime is a constantly evolving threat. Together with our international partners, we will continue to disrupt the criminal networks that deploy these attacks.”
Conviction in bike path killings:Â Islamic extremist Sayfullo Saipov was convicted by a federal jury in Manhattan of killing eight people on a bike path in New York City in 2017. He struck the victims with a truck he had driven onto the bike path. Sentencing deliberations are scheduled for next month and could lead to the death penalty.
Russia bans news site:Â Russia has banned an independent news site that has published stories about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The news operation is called Meduza. The Russians say it poses a threat constitutional order and national security. Russia has shut down several news operations that report the truth rather than the Kremlin’s version of the news.
Schiff declares for Senate:Â Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff of California says he’ll be running to take the Senate seat currently held by Democrat Dianne Feinstein. Feinstein has not announced whether she’ll run for another term. She’ll be 91 when the next election for the seat rolls around. Congresswoman Kati Porter also has declared her candidacy for the Senate seat.
Times reports secret Trump investigation:Â The New York Times reports that after Donald Trump’s Attorney General William Barr had named John Durham as a special counsel, Italian government officials tipped them that President Trump was allegedly involved in financial crimes. The Times said that Durham opened an investigation into Trump that was kept secret. Durham did not file charges and to date there has been no announcement from the Department of Justice about the matter.
