Shark Scoop is a weekly roundup of five stories that examine developments in global, national, and local news, as well as a top headline in entertainment and sports.
By: REYNA IWAMOTO / MANAGING EDITOR
Police Assessment Says Violence During Protests Shows Lack of Training
According to a report released on Monday by an oversight board that monitors police misconduct, the NYPD must restructure its response to large demonstrations and protests. Following a monthslong investigation into clashes between the police and protesters during the Black Lives Matter demonstrations in 2020, the report concluded that the NYPD must better train officers to manage crowds while also preserving the right to protest. During and after these demonstrations, the board received 750 complaints of misconduct, 321 of which they looked into. Following the board’s findings, they recommended disciplinary action in 146 cases involving 138 officers. According to the report, officers had exhibited behavior, including using batons to strike protesters, which violated police guidelines, using pepper spray indiscriminately, hiding their names and shield numbers, and failing to turn on body cameras. The report also provided policy prescriptions to improve on these areas, including training officers in crowd control, reworking the tactics officers use in demonstrations to mitigate risks to others and to respect the right to peaceful protest, and adequate documentation of where officers are being deployed.
Biden Delivers State of the Union Address, Calls on Republicans to Build the Economy
President Biden challenged the new Republican House majority on Tuesday night, to lift the U.S. debt ceiling and support his program of raising taxes on the wealthy, during the first State of the Union address of a divided government. "To my Republican friends, if we could work together in the last Congress, there is no reason we can’t work together and find consensus on important things in this Congress as well," President Biden said.
While he also urged lawmakers to support senior citizens, President Biden accused Republicans of threatening social security and medicare, an assertion that brought heckles from the crowd, with some lawmakers standing and shouting. As Republicans continued to deny this accusation, President Biden took advantage of the back-and-forth moment to encourage them to “stand up for seniors,” commanding one of the few moments of the night that Republicans joined Democrats in standing and applauding. Other moments from the night included a call to ban assault weapons and an introduction of the parents of Tyre Nichols, the Black man who died at the hands of Memphis police officers, that ended in his urging to overhaul policing.
As Aid Arrives in Turkey and Trickles Into Syria, Death Toll Surpasses 25,000
In the aftermath of the devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria on Monday, more than 25,000 have been killed and while search-and-rescue efforts continue, many are left homeless and injured in the freezing temperatures. The earthquake brought down whole apartment blocks in Turkish cities, rendering them impassable, while also wreaking havoc on millions of Syrians already displaced by years of war. Countries around the world have pledged to dispatch aid to Turkey and Syria including Canada, China, the European Union, Egypt, Iran, Ukraine, the U.K. and the U.S. In a statement released Monday, President Biden said that he authorized an “immediate U.S. response.” “Our teams are deploying quickly to begin to support Turkish search and rescue efforts and address the needs of those injured and displaced by the earthquake. U.S.-supported humanitarian partners are also responding to the destruction in Syria.” International aid has been slow to arrive in Syria as compared to Turkey, as the border crossing known as Bab al-Hawa, is the only one allowing the United Nations to reach the opposition-held region in northwestern Syria. Meanwhile, as deaths continue to add up, abnormally low temperatures threaten a secondary disaster.
LeBron James Breaks NBA All-Time Scoring Record
On Tuesday, LeBron James broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s career scoring record of 38,387 points. In the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, James broke the record on a fadeaway 2-point shot in the final seconds of the third quarter. In his postgame press conference, James said he felt like he was “sitting on top of the arena tonight.” The previous record had been untouched for decades but James went into Tuesday night’s game needing only 36 more points to make history. Abdul-Jabbar clapped and smiled from the sidelines when James scored and broke his record, later coming onto the court to hug and congratulate him. While the Thunder won, 133-130, James finished the game with 38 points and a career record of 38,390.
La La Land Musical To Open on Broadway
The 2016 Oscar-winning musical “La La Land,” written and directed by Damien Chazelle, is being adapted as a stage show, set to open on Broadway at an undetermined date. While the Broadway cast has yet to be announced, the stage adaptation will be directed by Bartlett Sher and like the movie, it will feature music by Justin Hurwitz and lyrics written by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. Marc Platt, who produced the movie and will produce the upcoming stage adaptation, said that he is “thrilled to reunite with Lionsgate and the incredible team behind ‘La La Land’ to adapt the movie for the Broadway stage…” “We’ve assembled a world-class team to create a musical that will delight ‘La La Land’s’ millions of current fans and introduce the property to a whole new audience,” Platt said.