Tag Archives: black lives matter

BIPOC, Local

Charleena Lyles Inquest Concludes Seattle Police Officers Used ‘Reasonable Force’

[SEATTLE, Wash.] – (MTN) After weeks of testimony, the jury considering the evidence presented during the Charleena Lyles inquest concluded after 20 hours of deliberation, Seattle Police Officers used “reasonable force” and were left with no other options beyond lethal force.

Lyle’s grandfather exploded in anger after the verdict was read, and was escorted from the courtroom.

The jurors had to use the legal standard for evaluating user of force police conduct that existed in 2017, which required the finding of “malice” or “evil intent.” In 2019, Washington state law was changed to remove the requirement. Jurors were asked to consider more than 100 questions, including if the officers’ actions were done with “malice.”

On June 17, 2017, Charleena Lyles called 911 to report a burglary. Seattle Police officers had been to her apartment two weeks earlier and knew she was in a mental health crisis. Jason Anderson and Steven McNew were the responding officers and neither had less-lethal options with them. Officer Anderson had stopped carrying his department-provided taser a few days earlier and McNew was not certified to carry one.

Officers enter the apartment, and despite knowing that Lyles was having mental health issues, did not ask her to put away some knives that were on the kitchen counter. During the interaction, the inquest determined that Lyles had grabbed one of the knives and would not comply with the officers’ orders. The inquest found that Lyles threatened Anderson and McNew with deadly force, leaving them no other option due to the tight quarters of the apartment, and not carrying less-lethal weapons. They fired their service weapons seven times, striking Lyles, who was pregnant, multiple times. Lyles died at the scene and her death was witnessed by two of her four children.

In 2018, Office Anderson was suspended for two days after a Seattle Office of Police Accountability investigation determined he had violated department policy but not having his taser. The OPA finds determined that the incident may have turned out differently if Anderson had a less-lethal option available.

Lyles’s family filed a $10 million lawsuit against the city of Seattle in 2020. The lawsuit was dismissed, but reinstated on appeal in 2021. The case was set to go to trial in February, but the family and the City of Seattle reached a $3.5 million settlement in November 2021.

King County Prosecutor Dan Sattenberg said that his office would review the evidence presented during the inquest and make a final determination on whether criminal charges will be filed. Because the pre-2019 standard of proving “malice” or “evil intent” is a requirement to secure a conviction, it is unlikely criminal charges will move forward.

BIPOC, Editorial, Health and Lifestyle, National

Tom Brady, Colin Kaepernick, Aaron Rodgers – the NFL “woke cancel culture” Covidgate crisis

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[GREEN BAY, Wisc.] – (MTN) In three days, Aaron Rodger’s fall from grace has been spectacular. An NFL career that has spanned 17 years with the Green Bay Packers, with the first three years in the shadow of Brett Farve and his I’m retiring, no I’m not, yes I am drama. He is a three-time NFL MVP, Super Bowl XLV champion, and his entire career is with Green Bay. A lie about his COVID vaccination status, egregious breaches of NFL Covid-19 protocols, a positive test, and a deep fall into the disinformation rabbit hole has put the Packers and the NFL in a well-deserved hot seat.

On August 30, 2021 the NFL and the NFL Players Association agreed on updated COVID protocols for the 2021 regular season. Unvaccinated players are required to be tested daily regardless of schedule or status. They are not permitted to enter any facilities or interact with other team members until they know their test results. If an unvaccinated player was in close contact with a person who tested positive, they must isolate for five days.

On October 24, Green Bay played Washington, where Rodgers threw to Davante Adams seven times. The next day, Adams tested positive for Covid-19. By protocol, Rodgers should have immediately started a five-day quarantine. It is undeniable he was a close contact. Adams and Rodgers would have been in multiple huddles on the field, talked on the bench, and interacted in the locker room. The five-day quarantine rule would have made Rodgers ineligible to play on October 29. The Packers defeated the Arizona Cardinals in that game, who were undefeated before Thursday night. That win for the Packers could have playoff implications.

Additionally, Rodgers is required by NFL rules to wear a mask when indoors and during weight training. He has not worn a mask during media availability or by all reports in the clubhouse or locker room.

Rodgers lied on August 20 when he said he was immunized. Rodgers tried to get an exemption from vaccination after seeking alternative homeopathic treatment to boost his immune system, which the NFL denied. Green Bay knew he wasn’t vaccinated, and they broke protocol. When Rodgers should have been riding the pine, he took to the field. That’s called cheating.

In 2015 a different quarterback was embroiled in a cheating scandal. Tom Brady was accused of ordering New England Patriots staffers to lower the pressure in game balls because it allegedly gave him a better grip. Over two years, the NFL spent ridiculous amounts of money on an investigation that turned every armchair quarterback into experts on physics, the Ideal Gas Law, obscure NFL rules on the control, testing, and use of game balls, and federal law.

Brady’s use of footballs that were less than 1 PSI under regulation and the convenient destruction of a cellphone he was asked to retain ended with a four-game suspension at the start of the 2016 season.

In the end, Brady started playing again with the Patriots 3-1. He would go on to have an 11-1 record for the rest of the regular season. The Patriots would go to the Super Bowl, and Brady led the team to the most remarkable comeback in Super Bowl history. Down 28 – 3, Brady carved up the Atlanta Falcons for the first Super Bowl overtime game in history. The Patriots racked up 31 unanswered points and won 34-28.

It’s also worth pointing out that Rodgers appeared to defend Brady at the height of Deflategate in an offhand comment about how Rodgers liked playing with his balls overinflated. Ironically, just days before Covidgate broke, Rodgers talked with Phil Simms about Deflategate and how his comment was a “ridiculous narrative.”

Rodgers isn’t the first NFL player to say things some Americans would find controversial. Colin Kaepernick appeared to have a promising NFL career ahead of him. During his first full season in 2012, he led the 49ers to Super Bowl XLVII. Had he not played five snaps in 2011, he would have been the first rookie quarterback to make it to the big game in NFL history.

On his way to the Super Bowl, he squared off against Rodgers and the Packers in his first career playoff game – leading San Francisco to a 45 – 31 victory. He had endorsement deals, an intense rivalry between the Seahawks and 49ers started to take hold, and he was part of what many believed would be the next generation of elite quarterbacks.

Kaepernick’s 2015 season was a disaster. He fought with new head coach Jim Tomsula who lasted just one season. He was benched after seven games and then deactivated for the rest of the season due to a shoulder injury that required three surgeries. In February 2016, he wanted out of San Francisco.

In the lead-up to the start of the 2016 season, Kaepernick became increasingly socially engaged. In July, he posted on social media about the police shootings of Alton Sterling, Philandro Castile, and Charles Kinsey. At the third pre-season game of the year, reporter Steve Wyche noticed Kaepernick sitting on the bench instead of standing for the National Anthem. “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football, and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder,” was Kaepernick’s reply.

No one had noticed Kaepernick had not taken to the field for the previous two games.

NFL player Nate Boyer, who played one game with the Seattle Seahawks and was a U.S. Army green beret with combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, gave Kaepernick advice. He told him privately it would be more respectful to kneel during the National Anthem, believing that Kaepernick could make his statement while showing respect to military veterans.

The backlash was ferocious and became fodder for the 2016 Presidential election. Pundits and politicians tore into Kaepernick, and by the end of the season, he was a free agent. He practiced with the Seattle Seahawks in 2017 to no avail. The local media response was swift and furious, and Kaepernick was excommunicated. Pete Carroll, the Seahawks head coach, would express regret in not signing Kaepernick to be Russell Wilson’s backup three years later.

The NFL would reach an “undisclosed settlement” with Kaepernick – rumors put the amount north of $20 million. In late November, the NFL set up a “workout” where teams could evaluate his readiness for a possible return to the field. Instead of holding the workout session on a traditional Tuesday, the NFL switched the schedule to Saturday, when most NFL teams prepare for Sunday games. The workout session was dismissed as a farce.

Kaepernick was canceled by a “mob” for following the advice of a combat veteran to protest injustice to Black Americans peacefully. The same people that canceled Kaepernick in 2016 would be screaming into social media during Black Lives Matter protests, “why can’t they just protest peacefully?”

People who follow the anti-vaccination movement have an expression for people who claim rules and scientific evidence are wronging them. The wails of injustice and outrage are called an “oppression kink.”

After discovering the “immunized” lie, the Packers’ cheating, the attempted cover-up, and then the positive test, the best course of action for Rodgers would have been to ride the socially distanced pine for ten days. Instead, Rodgers went on the Pat McAfee Show on Friday and self-destructed.

Rodgers insisted he isn’t “a anti-vax, flat-earther” but rather “a critical thinker.” He claimed he was a victim of a “woke mob” coming to cancel him, and he is the victim of a “witch hunt.” He compared his struggle and to those who don’t want to get vaccinated to the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s, and slain leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The choice of the words “woke mob” and the MLK comparison is stunning when you look through the lens of how pundits, politicians, players, and the NFL handled Colin Kaepernick. The NFL invested more money and scientific resources into the air pressure of 12 footballs in what New England Patriots fans still call a “witch hunt” than the NFL invested in investigating Aaron Rodgers’s holistic medicine “immunization” program.

While talking with McAfee, Rodgers would go on to say, “This idea that it’s a pandemic of the unvaccinated, it’s just a big total lie.”

Unvaccinated individuals are 11 times more likely to die of COVID. The unvaccinated have plunged Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado into crisis standards of care and brought Washington, Oregon, Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida to the very brink earlier this year.

“If the vaccine is so great, then how come people are still getting COVID and spreading COVID and, unfortunately, dying of COVID,” Rodgers quipped.

No vaccination is 100% effective, and some vaccines work not by preventing an infection outright but by blunting the severity of infection to avoid hospitalization and death. The original polio vaccine, the influenza vaccine, and the pneumonia vaccine are examples of this. Fully vaccinated immunocompromised individuals for disease beyond COVID are still at risk for infection. Gen Xers who got the MMR vaccines have been advised to get a booster as data has shown the measles part of the MMR doesn’t provide a lifetime of protection. Breakthrough COVID infections are a tiny part of total hospitalizations and deaths in the United States.

Rodgers advocated for the use of Ivermectin and claimed he was taking it. Full stop. If Ivermectin was effective as a preventative, why did Rodgers get COVID? He then went full conspiracy theory, including expressing issues with potential infertility, claiming we lack knowledge or understanding of mRNA-based vaccines and praising Joe Rogan for his medical advice.

Tom Brady didn’t use his fame and a national platform to spread medical disinformation that is literally killing people. However, he was benched for four games for the crime of destroying a cell phone and playing half-a-game with deflated balls.

Colin Kaepernick never endangered his teammates, their families, or the people that interacted with him. Kaepernick took a knee for social justice and tried to educate America about racial inequality for Black Americans. Four years later, his former sponsors, the NFL, NFL Commissioner Rodger Goodell, and Pete Carroll of the Seattle Seahawks, couldn’t line up fast enough to go, “we were wrong, sorry.” He still isn’t playing football, and he almost certainly never will. For the sin of taking a knee, Kap was blackballed forever after taking the good-natured advice of a military veteran.

Aaron Rodgers has created a massive problem for the NFL. He has revealed himself as a person wrapped in conspiracy theories, an anti-vaxxer, and a person with an oppression kink. If he’s fined and suspended like Brady, he’ll cry witch hunt. If he’s drummed out of the NFL with still years left to play, he’ll cry it was the fault of a woke mob.

If the NFL does nothing, fans should cry foul. Rodgers broke the rules of the game. Green Bay and the coaching staff did not follow NFL rules and didn’t bench Rodgers on October 25. These are cold hard facts. There are established penalties for breaking these rules. At the bare minimum, the Packers and Rodgers need to face the consequences.

Rodgers sponsors will have to decide how they want to move forward on the issue of medical disinformation. Tonight his list of sponsors is one fewer, with Prevea Healthcare walking away for its relationship. Adidas, Panini, Bose, TaylorMade, State Farm, and Zenith have not made any statements at this time, but the public relations disaster hit on Friday afternoon.

The biggest irony of all might go back to Tom Brady. Brady is deep into the junk science of alkaline foods and aligned with nutritionist Alex Guerrero. His degree is from a school that lost accreditation three years after he graduated. Guerrero was sanctioned for claiming he is a doctor capable of curing AIDS, multiple sclerosis, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and Parkinson’s disease through his exclusive supplement Supreme Greens. Brady not only follows Guerrero’s program, he promotes and advocates it. His support of Guerrero’s junk science is considered a significant reason he ultimately left the New England Patriots.

Tom Brady is fully vaccinated.

BIPOC, LGBTQIA, Local

Racist incident at Edmonds Bar spills over into social media storm

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[EDMONDS, Wash] – (MTN) A racist incident caught on camera at an Edmonds, Washington bar on Saturday has created a social media firestorm, catching an innocent business owner in its net. Karlos Dillard, is an author, activist, and foster care advocate who moved to Seattle in 2015 according to his online bio. On Saturday he was eating at Engel’s Pub in Edmonds at their outdoor dining area when another customer accosted him asking, “are you going to pay for your drinks because you can’t get them for free,” according to Dillard. Dillard’s husband was inside at the time picking up their food, and a credit card had been left with the bartender.

In a second video, viewed over 1.2 million times, Dillard is apparently talking to an employee of Engels, which is surprised and empathetic over what happened. According to the person who is not in the video, they discuss how leaving a credit card at the bar wasn’t a requirement.

Internet sleuths thought they had identified the man who started the incident as Dean Worthy, of Seattle, Washington. They were wrong, and now Worthy, along with his business Dean’s Home Repair is caught in the crossfire. “I’ve received over 250 phone calls this morning,” Worthy said. “I’ve been getting death threats, and they are leaving terrible reviews about my business that I worked so hard to build.”

Worthy has a passing resemblance to the man in the video, but that’s where the similarities end. Worthy and his girlfriend were nowhere near Edmonds on Saturday, as he spoke from a car show in Everett this morning. “I have over 200 one-star Yelp reviews, and I want everyone to know I’m not the man in the video.”

Dillard reported in a third video along with comments on the Internet that the staff of Engel’s Pub was supportive and not involved in the incident. As for Dillard’s calm demeanor, many commenters stated they would have taken stronger action in the situation. “I have a lot to lose,” said Dillard. “My career is just taking off. I’m young, I’m cute, I’m sexy, and I have a lot to live for. Hit a white man in a predominately white city and see what happens to you. You have to respond like me, or you don’t have a life.”

BIPOC, Breaking News, Local

BREAKING: Man charged with felony hate crime for death threats against BIPOC students at Marysville Pilchuck High School

[EVERETT, Wash] – (MTN) Snohomish County Prosecutors have charged Benjamin Richey, 20, of Lake Stevens, Washington with a felony hate crime for posting an apparent handgun in a Snapchat post with the caption, “killing minorities soon.” In a report in the Everett Herald, the former Marysville Pilchuck High School student is no stranger to the police. Charging documents indicate he has been investigated previously for hiring racial slurs at People of Color. Richey is the adult child of a Marysville Police Officer at the time of the January 28, 2021 incident.

On December 14, 2020, in an Associated Student Body Junior Leadership virtual meeting, things took an ugly turn for Marysville Pilchuck High School students. Two students during a Zoom meeting stated, “let’s kill all Black people,” and then went on to identify several Black students by name in the call.

A criminal investigation followed, and Marysville police interviewed two impacted Black families. According to police and a press release from the NAACP, one family stated they did not want to pursue charges. The two students that made the statements received suspensions from school and were transferred to a different facility.

On January 28, 2021, a different student came forward and provided images of Snapchat conversations. In one of the screenshots, one of the students involved in the December incident was brandishing a handgun with the caption, “killing minorities soon.” The student who reported this went on to state this wasn’t the first time this type of comment was made.

During the investigation, Richey told the police it was a joke. Students, faculty, and civic leaders didn’t interpret the incident that way, and the phone that was used was the same one involved in the December 14, 2020 incident.

Marysville Pilchuck High School was the site of a 2014 shooting that left five dead, including the perpetrator. Prosecutors argue in charging documents that, given this history, it was reasonable to fear harm from the social media threat.

On March 27, impacted families, the Snohomish County NAACP, and civic leaders called upon the Marysville School District and Snohomish County Prosecutors to take action against the threats.

OUR COVERAGE AND FULL INTERVIEW WITH DR. JANICE GREENE OF THE SNOHOMISH COUNTY NAACP

Richey will be appearing in court on a summons for arraignment on August 5. He is not allowed to possess or has access to firearms, he cannot contact Marysville Pilchuck High School, or violate any other laws as a condition of his release.

BIPOC, LGBTQIA, Local

One year later, a community waits for justice for Summer Taylor

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[SEATTLE, Wash] – (MTN) A year after Dawit Kelete, 28-years old, allegedly killed Summer Taylor with his vehicle, the community gathered to remember their legacy and wonder when there will be justice. Approximately 75 people gathered on July 4 to honor and remember Taylor, including former protest organizers and those on the freeway the night of the tragedy.

“Summer was the absolute life of the party,” said Marilyn Manslam as she reflected on the events from last year, “Summer was a magnetic personality.” That evening, a high point was the group dancing together in the northbound lanes before moving to leave the highway for the night. “Getting to dance with Summer that night was one of the best exchanges of my life,” said Manslam through a quivering voice.

“I personally will never have the words to say how much Summer Taylor impacted my life.”

Protesters had been marching on to Interstate 5 for 18 days in a row when July 3, 2020, had arrived. The Washington State Patrol, in coordination with the Washington Department of Transportation (WDoT), would shut down a stretch of I-5 and the Express Lanes between SH-520 and I-90, along with other access ramps. Protesters used spotters on bicycles and vehicles to form a blockade to protect the group further.

The Black Femme March group left Capitol Hill and moved onto the freeway as part of anti-police brutality protests in Seatle. The nighttime protests combined with COVID closures occurred during low traffic periods, making the closures more symbolic versus creating major traffic issues in the city. The highway was closed as in previous nights. As the group moved into the southbound lanes, horror was forming north of them.

Dawit Kelete is alleged to have entered I-5 driving the wrong way up the Olive Street off-ramp, avoiding the police and WDoT roadblocks. He then turned southbound on I-5 and started going at highway speed toward the group despite the closure.

Omari Salisbury of Converge Media spoke to the group that had gathered to remember Taylor a year later. “Seattle is maybe the only place in America that you can say you can see a straight line to people being in the streets to actual change,” Salisbury reflected. “That’s part and parcel to these young people who came out and made their voices heard, and in some cases, lost their lives.”

“People were so impacted by this crime against humanity, against George Floyd, to get into the streets. It went from the streets to city hall, to county, and down to Olympia, where Governor Inslee signed 13 bills for police and police accountability.”

In the weeks and months since Taylor’s death, four police officers in Washington state have been charged with second-degree murder or first-degree assault in two separate incidents. From the establishment of Juneteenth as a holiday to mandatory reporting of police misconduct laws passed by the legislature, Washington state had more police reform measures than another state in the country. Before Jeff Nelson, a city of Auburn police officer accused of murdering Jesse Sarey in the line of duty, no officer had been charged in Washington for 30 years. Further, no officer in Washington state history has ever been convicted of killing a suspect in the line of duty.

Kelete approached two blocking vehicles that were positioned to prevent cars from moving past the travel lanes. Shocking video from a traffic camera shows he never slowed down, veered into the median, then veered again into a travel lane aiming at fleeing protesters. As they ran to the gore, he swerved at them, sending two into the air. Chaos erupted, and one of the block vehicles drove off to search for Kelete.

Kelete stopped about 3/4 miles away on I-5 and was initially confronted by a small group of protesters who blocked his vehicle from driving further. A short time later, the Washington State Patrol took him into custody.

Also hit that day was Diaz Love, who uses they/them pronouns. Both were rushed to Harborview Medical Center in critical condition. Taylor died from their injuries 16 hours later, and Love would spend almost a year in recovery.

Love’s physical injuries were massive, but they also experienced a severe closed head injury amplified by PTSD and survivor’s guilt, per their social media posts which provided an intimate and public window into their recovery. Love ultimately relocated to Portland, where they continue to recover and have regained much of their autonomy despite impossible odds.

Speaking at Taylor’s memorial, TK, a high-profile and charismatic organizer, said, “Life is always going to knock you down. But when life knocks you down, are you going to get up again? Because you can get back up and keep going.”

MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR SUMMER TAYLOR A YEAR AFTER THEIR DEATH – video by renee raketty

Balloons, flowers, signs, and candles punctuated the memories of Taylor, from a group that went from laughter to tears and back to laughter as the moments passed.

Kelete was charged on July 8, 2020, and arraigned on July 22. His bail was initially set at $1.2 million for vehicular homicide and reckless driving. Kelete alleged he was impaired at the time of his arrest, but he passed a field sobriety test and a blood draw did not indicate he was under the influence. Despite not making bail, Kelete was released on December 31, 2020, with adjusted requirements of a $100,000 bond. Love, the surviving victim of the attack, claims prosecutors never notified them of Kelete’s pending release.

A trial date has not been scheduled.

Taylor, a Seattle native, would have been 25. Friends and family remembered them for being committed to racial justice, the LGBTQIA+ community, and a lover of animals who worked as a veterinarian assistant for Urban Animal in Seattle.

TK’s words were met with applause on Monday when she said, “We can hurt and do nothing, or we can heal, and do a Hell of a lot more. We are the cornerstone of change.”

“Let’s keep going.”

Renee Raketty contributed to this story.

BIPOC, Local, National

Amazon union-buster calls Black organizers “thugs” at NYC Distribution Center

[NEW YORK] – (MTN) The same union-busters who prevented a worker’s union at an Amazon facility in Bessemer, Alabama, are now helping the company in Staten Island, New York. JFK8, New York City’s only Amazon fulfillment center, has a concerning workplace culture, according to several employees.

Amazon’s JFK8 employs consultants to prevent employee activism, but it’s one symptom of a system designed to increase productivity and one that mistreats women and employees of color, according to four current and former employees. Malcontent News also obtained two federal complaints filed against Amazon with the National Labor Relations Board regarding illegal union-busting techniques and harassment—complaints filed while some workers can’t afford rent and sleep in their cars.

According to a Truthout report, Amazon pays multiple union-busting companies like the Burke Group thousands of dollars to prevent organizing. Natalie Monarrez, an Amazon employee of three years, says on May 4 she spoke with Bradley Moss, President of the Eastern Division of the Burke Group. Moss is the same union-busting consultant who worked at the Bessemer location.

“He said the organizers [at Bessemer] were just Black Lives Matter protesters,” Monarrez said. “Then he shifted over to, ‘These guys in front [of JKF8 are] never gonna get off the ground. They’re just a bunch of thugs.’ I knew exactly what he meant.”

[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”55″ gal_title=”Amazon Anti-Union”]

Monarrez says Moss was referring to union organizers outside JKF8 who pass out literature, connect with workers and host barbecues—and who are Black. It’s not the first time Amazon was racist; Vice reported in 2020 that during one executive meeting CEO Jeff Bezos attended, a company exec called organizer Chris Smalls, who is Black, “not smart or articulate.”

Hiring union-busters aren’t the only way Amazon prevents unionization. Employee and organizer Derrick Palmer recently filed a complaint with the NLRB after an incident on June 12. An Amazon manager took union literature and papers Palmer left on the break room table for other employees. Palmer says the manager wouldn’t reveal who told him to confiscate the material and says complaints have been filed previously for the same thing. After recovering his property, another manager tried to take similar literature from worker organizer Connor Spence.

Amazon has also put up anti-union signs in the bathrooms, according to Palmer, and Malcontent News obtained photos of anti-union digital signs inside the building with messages like, “Be careful who you trust.” Although there has never been an Amazon Labor Union, or ALU, at JKF8, the signs say the ALU has a “history of financial trouble.” This is in addition to a fence Amazon built around JKF8, which according to the Commercial Observer is designed to make organizing harder. Palmer filed charges with the NLRB because of the fence on May 11.

amazon anti-union ads ran on the amazon twitch platform in 2021

Employees say the internal culture is racist, too. Palmer says he believes being Black is part of the reason he hasn’t been promoted. After showing managers he had achieved enough “Matrix points,” a sort of internal tallying system of leadership and experience, management denied him an interview for promotion even though he had exceeded the requirements. Additionally, the New York Times reports that while many hourly workers are people of color, management is overwhelmingly white. Spence agrees, saying many managers are white men hired “fresh out of college.”

The company culture and union-busting do nothing to help employees who are struggling, Monarrez says. Monarrez, who also filed an NLRB report after a now-terminated manager physically prevented her from using the bathroom, says she and nearly 100 other JKF8 employees are homeless and sleep in their cars in the parking lot after work. Monarrez has been homeless for three years. She lost her job after the 2008 recession and had a difficult time finding work, so she moved to New York City and began working for Amazon in 2017.

Monarrez lives on just more than $19 an hour, but in New York City rent can be more than $2,000 per month for a one-bedroom apartment, which she can’t afford it. She says she’s gotten a gym membership so she can take a shower. However, it’s not easy to work 10-hour shifts handling around 1,800 packages per hour and not be able to afford basic necessities. 

“I wish people knew the truth,” Monarrez says. “It’s really bad, and we need help.”

Smalls, Palmer, Spence, and other labor organizers at JFK8 are doing their best to help. Every employee Malcontent News spoke to knew about each other’s struggles and had established relationships. Smalls says the barbecues he hosts outside the building help workers come together.

Because JKF8 has about 5,600 employees, Spence says they need about 1,700 signatures to vote on creating a union. They’re making steady progress, and Spence says they may hit their goals and push for a vote this year. But if it takes longer, they’re willing to put in the work.

In Bessemer, union efforts failed after 738 voted for, and 1,798 voted against a union. However, Amazon installed a mailbox there, and some reports say it’s possible Amazon tampered with votes. In addition to union-busting tactics, JKF8 has a turnover rate of about 150 percent. Spence says this means that in a building of 6,000 people, they may hire and fire as many as 9,000 employees in a year, making it difficult to unionize.

amazon’s union busting training video – full version – from 2019

“It’s not the only reason they do it, but trying to prevent labor organizing is one of the components of that business model,” Spence says. “High turnover prevents labor organizing.”

Still, there are ways the public can help. Smalls says locals are welcome to come and volunteer and that anyone can donate.

“We are self-funded,” Smalls says. “Donate whatever you can on amazonlaborunion.org. Help us amplify anything online. If they can volunteer, they can come on down.”

BIPOC, National

Nicholas Kraus charged with intentional second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree assault

[MINNEAPOLIS] – (MTN) Nicholas Kraus, 35-years old, has been formally charged with intentional second-degree murder in the car attack that left Deona Marie Erickson dead, and two counts of second-degree assault for the injuries to two others, including an independent journalist who had their leg broken in the attack. Kraus admitted to officials that he drove toward the protesters on purpose and sped up to jump the barricades.

According to the police report, Erickson died from massive head trauma in the attack. The report also indicates that Kraus was drunk at the time, but the results of his toxicology report have not been made public.

Hennepin County officials wrote in a press release Kraus’ “behavior and admittance to intentionally driving towards the protestors is one important reason why we have charged him with intentional second-degree murder.”

“When Kraus spoke to police after the fatal incident the following day, he admitted to driving his SUV in the Uptown area,” the report continues. “Upon seeing the barricade, felt the need to ‘get over it.’ He also told police that he did not brake and accelerated in an attempt to jump the barricade despite seeing people.”

Kraus is facing up to 54 years in prison and has five prior DWI convictions in his past, including 2 felony convictions. Bail has been set at $1,000,000 with the condition of no drugs or alcohol while on release. Kraus’ next hearing is on June 17.

BIPOC, National

Police warrant for Nicholas Kraus’ blood draw provides some insight into his state of mind

[MINNEAPOLIS] – (MTN) Police statements within a warrant submitted to secure a toxicology report for Nicholas Kraus in the moments after he crashed through a vigil for Winston Smith in Minneapolis, Minnesota, provides insight into his state of mind, but doesn’t answer questions about his motivations.

According to the warrant, Kraus admitted to driving through the group holding a vigil. He refused to provide his name, stating he was Tim Burton, the movie producer, and Jesus Christ. Police noted that Kraus’ pupils were “pinpoints” and non-reactive. Officers were unable to provide a field sobriety test on the scene due to injuries Kraus sustained in the accident.

In the same warrant, it is reported a traffic camera caught the incident and that the brake lights never turned on as Kraus tore through the group. The video has not been released to the public.

Kraus is a convicted felon with a criminal record spanning 17 years and 18 criminal cases. He has five convictions for DUI, including twice in 2007, once in 2009, 2012, and 2016. He had a 2013 DUI dismissed in a plea deal. He was also convicted of fifth-degree assault in 2004, falsely reporting a crime in 2006, and obstruction of justice in 2015. In the 2015 case, he was accused of attempting to smother his girlfriend and trying to throw her over the top railing of a balcony. Those charges were later dropped in a plea deal. The woman involved is the mother of his two children.

Kraus was arrested and convicted in 2020 for giving a false name to the police. In that case, he was sentenced to 45 days in jail and got time served for 43 of those days. That arrest and conviction caused a violation of his 2016 parole conditions and triggered a warrant for his arrest.

Deona Marie Erickson was killed in the incident that left 3 others injured. Video of the incident show Erickson flying through the air. Volunteer medics who were there to support the ongoing vigil for Winston Smith provided lifesaving care and were able to get a pulse back, however Erickson was declared dead shortly after arriving at an area hospital.

Kraus remains in custody without bail while prosecutors mull additional charges. A number of states have passed Republican-led initiatives providing drivers with legal justification to drive through protesters. Minnesota does not have any such law passed.

BIPOC, National

Mural of Breonna Taylor vandalized in Louisville, Kentucky 10 days after public reveal

[LOUISIVILLE] – (MTN) A $2500 reward is being offered for the arrest and conviction of two individuals who were caught on a security camera vandalizing a mural of Breonna Taylor, less than a week after it was revealed. The mural located in Lannan Park in Louisville, Kentucky, was revealed to the public ten days ago.

The mural, painted on a recently renovated basketball court, featured Taylor and an urbanized version of the iconic “coexist” graphic. The project to create the mural was greenlighted by the city in August 2020, and involved local and national artists. Taylor’s mom, Tamika Palmer, was at the unveiling on June 4, and in an emotional statement said, “I’m happy…to have so many people, good people around to honor and support it.”

https://malcontentment.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Reward-offered-in-vandalism-of-Breonna-Taylor-mural-at-Louisvilles-Lannan-Park.mp4
BREONNA TAYLOR MURAL VANDALIZED DURING THE EARLY MORNING OF JUNE 15,2021

The surveillance video shows two individuals arriving on a small motorbike or scooter driving onto the court.

Palmer released a statement that said in part, “It’s very disappointing and heartbreaking that other people of the community would go to this length to say a black woman’s life didn’t matter, a woman who still deserves justice today.”

On March 13, 2020, Taylor was shot and killed by Louisville Metro police officers service a search warrant on her apartment. A lengthy investigation found that the warrant was issued under false allegations, the police did not follow proper procedures, and the person they were targeting for arrest was not only not in Taylor’s apartment, but was already in custody. Members of a grand jury commissioned by the state of Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron claim they were never instructed to consider criminal charges directly related to Taylor’s death.

Breonna Taylor of Louisville, and George Floyd of Minneapolis, became eponymous within the Black Lives Matter movement that was reinvigorated after both their deaths.

BIPOC, National

Driver who killed 1, wounded 3, in Minneapolis car attack identified as Nicholas Kraus

[MINNEAPOLIS] – (MTN) Nicholas Kraus, 35, of St. Paul, Minnesota, was being held without bail for investigation of vehicular homicide after driving his car at a high rate of speed through a protest gathering and striking at least 3 additional people. More questions than answers exist less than a day later as Kraus had a warrant out for his arrest and had his driver’s license suspended for being “a hazard to public safety.”

During the evening of June 13, protesters had gathered to honor Winston Smith, 32, who was killed by U.S. Marshalls attempting to serve a warrant. The shooting death of Smith has enraged the community, with witnesses stating Winston was unarmed and no bodycam video taken during the arrest attempt.

Cars were used to create a barrier between traffic and the protesters. Kraus is accused of driving at a high rate of speed and accelerating into the crowd driving an SUV. Kraus was estimated to be driving 70 to 80 MPH as he tore through the group playing a game of red light, green light.

He drove through one barrier before striking a vehicle in the car barricade. The vehicle was hit so hard that it was thrown into bystanders, throwing Deona Marie Erickson through the air and striking at least 3 more people, including an independent journalist who suffered a broken leg. Volunteer medics started CPR on Erickson immediately and were able to get a pulse back, but she was declared dead upon her arrival at an area hospital. Kraus’ SUV came to rest against a pole, and he attempted to flee the scene but was detained by protesters.

Kraus is a convicted felon with a criminal record spanning 17 years and 18 criminal cases. He has five convictions for DUI, including twice in 2007, once in 2009, 2012, and 2016. He had a 2013 DUI dismissed in a plea deal. He was also convicted of fifth-degree assault in 2004, falsely reporting a crime in 2006, and obstruction of justice in 2015. In the 2015 case, he was accused of attempting to smother his girlfriend and trying to throw her over the top railing of a balcony. Those charges were later dropped in a plea deal. The woman involved is the mother of his two children.

Kraus was arrested and convicted in 2020 for giving a false name to the police. In that case, he was sentenced to 45 days in jail and got time served for 43 of those days. That arrest and conviction caused a violation of his 2016 parole conditions and triggered a warrant for his arrest.

Kraus’ social media footprint is mostly innocuous, with many public posts from 2017 to 2018. In his posts, he frequently expressed that he was a victim of other people holding him back and not forgiving him for his mistakes.

Although he did not express any political ideology in his posting, he wrote Greg Laurie was his favorite pastor. Pastor Laurie formed Harvest Christian Fellowship, the eighth largest megachurch in the United States. He serves on the board of directors of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, headed by Franklin Graham, an outspoken champion of Donald Trump and critic of Black Lives Matter. Laurie also served as one of the pastors for Donald Trumps’ 2017 inauguration.

Facebook post of Nicholas Kraus expressing his admiration for megachurch pastor Greg Laurie

However, Laurie has spoken out against historic racism in the Christian religion and aligned his megachurch with the Southern Baptist Church in 2017. In July 2020, he said, “Our country is in turmoil right now because of the tragic killing — and I would classify it as a murder — of George Floyd. This man had a knee of a police officer on his neck. He wasn’t able to breathe. He said repeatedly, “I can’t breathe,” and even called out, “Mama,” which is just so heartbreaking to watch this. It’s really opened up an important national conversation, and also there’s a lot of conflict on our streets right now. I want you to know, I can only speak for myself and maybe my family, but we’re listening. We’re wanting to understand. We’re wanting to learn. We don’t know what it’s like to walk in the shoes of an African American person.”

Untrue rumors were swirling on social media that Deona Marie Erickson is Kraus’ children’s mother. According to family members, Erickson had no relationship or contact with Kraus in the past.

Many posts on Nicholas Kraus’ Facebook page expressed he felt like a victim of other people holding him back.

Kraus is being held in Hennepin County Jail, awaiting a bond hearing and arraignment. Authorities had not stated a motivation if Kraus was impaired when he was arrested or indicated if this is being investigated as a hate crime. Hennepin County has been a national flashpoint since 2016 when officer Jeronimo Yanez shot and killed Philando Castile. Yanez was acquitted for wrongdoing after a criminal trial and 5 days of deliberations.

George Floyd was murdered by Derek Chauvin on May 25, 2020, in an incident recorded and shared on social media. Chauvin was convicted of second-degree murder and two other charges and will be sentenced on June 25, 2021. On April 11, 2021, 26-year police veteran and training officer Kim Potter shot and killed Daunte Wright, 20, during a routine traffic stop in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. Potter claims she mistakenly grabbed her service-issued firearm instead of a Taser. Potter was arraigned on second-degree manslaughter charges in the same courthouse conducting the Derek Chauvin trial.

The June 4, 2021, shooting of Winston Smith has exacerbated the tense situation in Minneapolis, further divided the public trust from law enforcement. Both Anoka and Hennepin County Sheriff’s have stated their departments will no longer participate in federal raids due to the lack of transparency in the death of Smith.

The national discord on using vehicles to commit violence has sunk to new lows since 32-year old Heather Heyer was murdered in 2017 by 20-year-old James Alex Fields. Fields drove his Dodge Challenger through an anti-white supremacy counter-protester in Charlottesville, Virginia. Since May of 2020, dozens of car attacks were recorded across the nation. In Seattle, Summer Taylor died and Diaz Love was gravely injured on July 4, 2020, in a car attack on a closed interstate. Dawit Kelete was stopped by protesters in that incident and is still awaiting trial.

In a September 2020 USA Today story, researchers indicated there had been 104 documented car attacks at Black Lives Matter protests, including 8 involving police officers. Of the 104 incidents recorded, charges were filed against 39 drivers. Several of those cases have already gone to trial with a range of findings.

A number of states have passed Republican-led initiatives providing drivers with legal justification to drive through protesters. Minnesota does not have any such law passed.