IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

Thursday's Mini-Report, 4.15.21

Today's edition of quick hits.

By

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Day 14: "Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer accused of killing George Floyd, invoked his Fifth Amendment right not to testify Thursday, ending weeks of speculation and bringing the defense's case to a close. Chauvin told the judge he would not take the stand before the jury was brought into the courtroom."

* The video is brutally painful: "A Chicago police oversight board released body-camera video Thursday of an officer fatally shooting a 13-year-old boy, images that Mayor Lori Lightfoot called 'excruciating.' The officer can be seen running down an alley, chasing Adam Toledo last month and ordering him to stop, according to footage made public by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability."

* Vaccine news: "People will likely need a third dose of a Covid-19 vaccine within a year of getting fully vaccinated and may subsequently need annual shots to protect against the coronavirus, Pfizer's CEO Albert Bourla said Thursday."

* Smart diplomacy: "Secretary of State Antony Blinken made an unannounced stop in Afghanistan on Thursday for meetings with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, civic leaders and the National Reconciliation Chairman Abdullah Abdullah to reassure them that Washington's support for the war-torn country will continue despite the U.S. decision to withdraw all military forces by Sept. 11."

* Deeply scary stuff: "As the Capitol was overrun on Jan. 6, armed supporters of President Donald Trump were waiting across the Potomac in Virginia for orders to bring guns into the fray, a prosecutor said Wednesday in federal court."

* AAPI liaison: "The White House on Wednesday announced the appointment of Erika Moritsugu as its Asian American and Pacific Islander liaison. Moritsugu was a vice president at the National Partnership for Women & Families, heading up the group's Economic Justice team. She was also an assistant secretary of housing and urban development during the Obama administration."

* I keep expecting some kind of explanation for this: "President Biden sent a stark message in February to foreigners fleeing oppression, persecution and danger: The United States stands ready to help them once again. He pledged an eightfold-plus increase in the annual cap on refugees set during the Trump administration, saying he would aim for a 'down payment' on that promise 'as soon as possible.' More than two months later, Biden has not made good on his vow."

* South Carolina: "A white Army non-commissioned officer depicted in a viral video accosting and shoving a Black man in a South Carolina neighborhood has been charged with third-degree assault. Jonathan Pentland, 42, was charged Wednesday and listed as detained in the Richland County jail and issued a personal recognizance bond, according to online jail records, which did not show him as having an attorney."

* Liberty U: "The son of Jerry Falwell Jr. is out of his job as vice president at Liberty University nearly eight months after his father resigned as president of the Christian school amid allegations of inappropriate personal behavior and financial self-dealing. Liberty University spokesperson Scott Lamb on Wednesday confirmed to POLITICO that Trey Falwell was 'no longer employed by the university.'"

See you tomorrow.