The wave of protests and riots that convulsed the U.S. over the weekend was the result of a simmering rage in the black community that has been building for a long time, said Leslie Ricard Chambers, deputy executive counsel for Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards.
"This isn't something that was spontaneously done," Chambers said in an interview with Cheddar Monday morning, as cities across the country woke up after another night of unrest.
"This is the manifestation of frustration over a long period of time of inaction by folks who are supposed to be in a position to serve and protect us."
"People are tired of a system that doesn't work for them," she added.
Chambers, a former prosecutor in Baton Rouge who now works under Louisiana's Democratic governor, said that the confluence of recent high-profile killings of black Americans — from George Floyd in Minneapolis to Breonna Taylor in Louisville to Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia — has led to a resurgence of "hurt that has been felt in the black community" that predates any of those tragic deaths.
Set against the backdrop of a pandemic that is disproportionately affecting people of color, Chambers said law enforcement needs to better understand — and empathize — with people who are "fed up" about "the totality of all the circumstances" affecting their communities.
The "foremost duty" of law enforcement is to serve and protect, Chambers said, adding that moments of civil unrest are what police are trained for. "If you're a law enforcement officer, your job is not going to be pretty every day," she said.
Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Jerry Greenfield is leaving the ice cream brand after 47 years. He says the freedom the company used to have to speak up on social issues has been stifled
The Federal Reserve cut its key interest rate by a quarter-point Wednesday and projected it would do so twice more this year as concern grows at the central bank about the health of the nation’s labor market. The move is the Fed’s first cut since December and lowered its short-term rate to about 4.1%, down from 4.3%. Fed officials, led by Chair Jerome Powell, had kept their rate unchanged this year as they evaluated the impact of tariffs, tighter immigration enforcement, and other Trump administration policies on inflation and the economy. The only dissenter was Stephen Miran, the recent Trump-appointee.
After a late-night vote and last-minute ruling, the Federal Reserve began a key meeting on interest rate policy Tuesday with both a new Trump administration appointee and an official the White House has targeted for removal.
The Trump administration has issued its first warnings to online services that offer unofficial versions of popular drugs like the blockbuster obesity treatment Wegovy.
Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama says his new Cabinet will include an artificial intelligence “minister” in charge of fighting corruption. The AI, named Diella, will oversee public funding projects and combat corruption in public tenders. Diella was launched earlier this year as a virtual assistant on the government's public service platform. Corruption has been a persistent issue in Albania since 1990. Rama's Socialist Party won a fourth consecutive term in May. It aims to deliver EU membership for Albania in five years, but the opposition Democratic Party remains skeptical.
The Trump administration has asked an appeals court to remove Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve’s board of governors by Monday, before the central bank’s next vote on interest rates. Trump sought to fire Cook Aug. 25, but a federal judge ruled late Tuesday that the removal was illegal and reinstated her to the Fed’s board.
