Items

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  2020-08-13

  Demand Real Change from Minnesota Senate

  Five weeks after Gov. Waltz called a special session to pass police reform, protestors gathered outside the Minnesota Senate demanding swifter and more comprehensive legislation from elected officials. On July 24, a couple days after this protest, Gov. Waltz signed a bill that would prohibit the use of chokeholds and warrior style training. Both of these items were already banned in Minneapolis, respectively in June 2020 and April 2019. The state legislation established a duty to intercede on officers who see a colleague using excessive force and requires excessive force incident reports. The bill fell far short of the transformational change demanded after the murder of George Floyd and represented 'low-hanging fruit' for reform policies. President Michelle Gross of the Communities United Against Police Brutality (CUAPB) shared, “It doesn’t do anything substantial to end violent policing. The legislators, frankly, are frightened of the law enforcement lobby.” The bill ignored CUAPB's recommendations such as lengthening the statute of limitations for wrongful death and civil rights violation lawsuits, community participation in collective bargaining agreements with police unions, and requiring police release body camera footage to families of victims within 48 hours. Photos from Demand Real Change from Minnesota Senate!, July 17, 2020
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  2020-05-26

  Is a Crocheted Face Mask Effective?

  People are posting photos of them in their face masks on social media. This includes celebrities. Alyssa Milano, an actress, released a selfie with her family. Her mask is crocheted with a lot of holes in it. the commentator said it was "a stunningly ineffective crocheted mask."
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  05/20/2020

  Ineffective Face Mask Bingo

  Following the popular meme/comic format of bingo cards, this comic illustrates the numerous ineffective/wrong ways people are wearing face masks in public. The original caption on instagram reads "For all my retail worker friends, what we see on a daily basis... I long for the day I dont hit a blackout card before lunch. Wear it right or stay home x.x" It demonstrates the lack of information or care taken by members of the public even when they do wear face covers. It also demonstrates the frustration and fear felt by workers forced to interact with these individuals and feel they are put at risk as a result. *Christine Ridgway, @skidarstudios on instagram *comic/instagram post
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  2020-05-15

  Academic analysis of federalism and coronavirus

  A student's paper on how federalism in the US has impacted the country's response to COVID-19.