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Tuesday, April 30, 2019

The Mueller report: A catalog of 77 Trump team lies and falsehoods

The redacted version of the 448-page report released by the Justice Department earlier this month didn't find conspiracy or coordination between the Trump campaign and the Russian government. Special counsel Robert Mueller did not decide whether Trump obstructed justice in violation of the law, though he investigated it thoroughly and found in several instances both potentially obstructive behavior and motive.
Yet the document serves another purpose: a catalog of what was and wasn't true regarding the 2016 campaign and the Trump administration.
Some of the lies that CNN found Mueller prosecuted as crimes -- like in the court cases against Michael Flynn, Trump's first national security adviser, who admitted to lying to the FBI, and Michael Cohen, his former lawyer and fixer who admitted to lying to Congress.
Many however, have not led to court cases, since they were told by the President or his communications staff to the American public, at press conferences, in interviews and in official statements.
Others were lies of omission, or involved wrong information given initially to investigators and then corrected, sometimes with consequence, sometimes without. Except in regard to the President's assertions, Mueller often did not delve into a person's intent, instead just laying out the facts he had unearthed.
One comment in particular seems to capture how the President views giving false statements to the press. Mueller notes that during the effort to spread a lie about his involvement in the response to news of the Trump Tower meeting in June 2016, Trump told a group of reporters outside the White House, "It's a statement to the New York Times ... That's not a statement to a high tribunal of judges."

How we analyzed the report

CNN's approach to analyzing the report was this: Every time Mueller documented a false assertion made to the public or federal officials -- even if it was the same falsehood told again and again -- it was counted. This includes lies to investigators and to Congress, who represent the public. CNN did not include efforts on the part of the White House to get other administration officials to lie, of which Mueller notes several instances.
The final portrait as written by Mueller reveals eight major topics around which Trump and his associates pushed false stories, from his interactions with former FBI Director James Comey, to the negotiations about a Trump Tower project in Moscow, to the President's flat denial that US intelligence had found the Russian government was involved in the hack of the Democratic National Committee.
Sometimes, Mueller lays it out cold, saying a person asserted something "falsely." At other times, Mueller describes a cascade of assertions -- often by the President -- only to pull back later to say that "substantial evidence" contradicts the statements. On a few occasions, Mueller couldn't determine the truth, but outlines how at least one person among a group must have been giving false information.
In its analysis, CNN counted instances where Mueller noted multiple people giving different versions of events as one false assertion each.
CNN's analysis also counted situations where false information was shared yet Mueller didn't always make clear whether the person intended to give bad information. In a few cases, Mueller documented how some of the people had explanations regarding the information they shared.
In all, although he seldom uses the term, Mueller's effort may be the first comprehensive finding by a federal investigator to document the lies to the American public told by the Trump campaign and administration.

Trump Tower Moscow project

Trump Tower Moscow

Donald Trump

What Donald Trump said:

Trump faced an onslaught of questions about Russia at the only press conference he gave during the presidential transition, on January 11, 2017. Asked about his potential financial ties to Russia, Trump replied: "I have no dealings with Russia. I have no deals that could happen in Russia, because we've stayed away. And I have no loans with Russia." This gave the false impression that Trump never pursued any Russian deals, even though he did in 2016.

What the report said:

"Trump responded to questions (from the media) about possible connections to Russia by denying any business involvement in Russia — even though the Trump Organization had pursued a business project in Russia as late as June 2016."

Michael Cohen

What Michael Cohen said:

Former Trump attorney Michael Cohen repeatedly lied to Congress about Trump Tower Moscow and later pleaded guilty to making false statements. Specifically, Cohen lied about his attempts to reach Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov in hopes of getting government approval for the Trump-branded real estate deal. On August 28, 2017, Cohen sent a letter to the House Intelligence Committee, which said: "I... do not recall any response to my email, nor any other contacts by me with Mr. Peskov or other Russian government officials about the proposal."

What the report said:

"Each of the foregoing representations in Cohen's two-page statement was false and misleading... Cohen did recall that he had received a response to the email that he sent to Russian government spokesman Dmitry Peskov — in particular, that he received an email reply and had a follow-up phone conversation with an English-speaking assistant to Peskov in mid-January 2016."

Mueller uncovered a systematic effort by Trump and his onetime attorney Cohen to mislead the public about Trump's financial ties to Russia. The deception spanned years and included lies to the voters, the press, congressional committees and Mueller's investigators. In all, Mueller called out at least 30 lies or misleading statements about Trump Tower Moscow.
Since the campaign, Trump publicly denied having any business ties to Russia. He often repeated, "I have nothing to do with Russia," and said he stayed away from Russian deals.
But the Mueller report documented how the Trump Organization pursued a lucrative business proposal in Moscow. Cohen led the negotiations, which included direct contacts with Kremlin officials. Trump knew about the effort and it lasted until June 2016, well into the campaign.
Initial details of the deal trickled out in mid-2017. But the cover-up continued until November 2018, when Cohen pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about when the project ended and how much Trump knew about it. For these crimes and others, Cohen is heading to prison this spring.
The report also highlighted at least 15 times Trump misled the public about this critical topic. Mueller even rebuked Trump for not "directly" answering questions about the Moscow project in written testimony he submitted last year. Trump never agreed to an in-person interview.

Comey firing and fallout

Donald Trump

What Donald Trump said:

In a July 19, 2017, interview with the New York Times, President Donald Trump wrongly denied pushing then-FBI Director James Comey into a one-on-one conversation. The Times asked him, "Did you shoo other people out of the room when you talked to Comey?
"No, no," Trump said.
"Did you actually have a one-on-one with Comey then?"
Trump responded, "Not much. Not even that I remember."

What the report said:

Mueller found that "despite those denials, substantial evidence corroborates Comey's account."

Sarah Sanders

What Sarah Sanders said:

At a press conference on May 10, 2017, the day after Comey's firing, White House deputy press secretary Sarah Sanders spun the decision as one backed up, falsely, by FBI agents who didn't trust their leader. "The rank and file of the FBI had lost confidence in their director," she told assembled press. A reporter pushed back, citing information that a majority of FBI agents supported Comey, yet Sanders still replied, wrongly, "Look, we've heard from countless members of the FBI that say very different things," Mueller noted.

What the report said:

"Following the press conference, Sanders spoke to the President, who told her she did a good job and did not point out any inaccuracies in her comments. Sanders told this Office that her reference to hearing from 'countless members of the FBI' was a 'slip of the tongue.'"

The Mueller report documents at least a dozen instances where Trump and his associates lied or made false assertions about the facts surrounding the firing of Comey. Sometimes, these falsehoods multiplied through attempts at damage control, and the President and his staff spread them on Twitter, in interviews and in official White House statements.
Mueller documents how Trump was incensed over the FBI's Russia investigation and the questions he felt that it raised over the legitimacy of his election win. At first, Trump asked Comey to lay off his national security adviser Flynn, then later fired Comey, who refused to pledge his loyalty.
All in all, Mueller documented the President and the White House lying multiple times about why he fired Comey and the circumstances that led to the firing.
For example, Trump tweeted: "I never asked Comey to stop investigating Flynn. Just more Fake News covering another Comey lie!"
In truth, Trump had invited Comey to dinner, asked for the FBI director's loyalty and asked Comey about "letting Flynn go," since his national security adviser was under investigation.
Mueller ultimately sided with Comey's version of the story, after corroborating it with multiple other sources -- even the President's daily diary. "Despite those denials [from Trump], substantial evidence corroborates Comey's account," Mueller wrote.
White House press secretaries Sarah Sanders and Sean Spicer, as well as Trump's attorney Marc Kasowitz, also pushed false versions of the events involving Comey. Sanders admitted to Mueller her negative statements to the press about Comey as the FBI's leader were a "slip of the tongue" and said "in the heat of the moment."

Trump Tower meeting

Trump Tower meeting

Trump's attorney

What Trump's attorney said:

Donald Trump's personal attorney Jay Sekulow in July 2017 denied on Good Morning America, Meet the Press and to CNN that the President was involved in writing the statement from Donald Trump Jr. about the Trump Tower meeting- even though Trump had dictated the statement that his son issued.

What the report said:

After the statement was released, "The President's personal counsel repeatedly and inaccurately denied that the President played any role in drafting Trump Jr.'s statement," Mueller wrote.  Trump's legal team, which included Sekulow, reversed what they told the press when they discussed what happened with the special counsel's office.

"Several months later, the President's personal counsel stated in a private communication to the Special Counsel's Office that 'the President dictated a short but accurate response to the New York Times article on behalf of his son, Donald Trump, Jr.' The President later told the press that it was 'irrelevant' whether he dictated the statement and said, 'It's a statement to the New York Times .... That's not a statement to a high tribunal of judges.'

Mueller found that Donald Trump Jr.'s public statement about the June 2016 Trump Tower meeting was the start of a coordinated effort to mischaracterize the nature of the meeting and to protect the President. Campaign leaders had expected the meeting to include discussion of possible damaging information on Hillary Clinton.
The public response from Trump's team about the meeting was rife with misdirection from the beginning, including at least nine instances of falsehoods.
A spokesperson for Trump's personal legal team, Mark Corallo, worked with the conservative news site Circa News to create a story to bring into question whether the Trump Tower meeting was a setup orchestrated by Democratic operatives, Muller noted. It wasn't.
Trump Jr. issued a statement in July 2017 wrongly claiming that the meeting was primarily about Russian adoptions. Instead, the discussion centered on US sanctions against Russians.
Jay Sekulow, Trump's personal attorney, also pushed a false narrative. In several interviews, he said that Trump hadn't dictated Trump Jr.'s statement. Trump's attorneys later admitted to Mueller that Trump had indeed dictated it. Sanders also falsely told the press that Trump didn't dictate the statement.
And finally, Mueller flags one of those pesky "who was lying?" situations -- leaving a major question of the Russia investigation still unresolved. Did then-candidate Trump know about the meeting in advance?
Cohen told prosecutors that yes, he did -- and Cohen had witnessed the conversation between Trump Jr. and his father, but Cohen noted that he "did not recall Trump Jr. stating the meeting was connected to Russia."
But Trump Jr. told the Senate Judiciary Committee the opposite. He said he hadn't spoken to his father about it in advance. Trump campaign chairman Manafort and son-in-law Jared Kushner, the meeting's other attendees, backed up this story when they spoke to investigators and said they didn't recall anyone informing Trump of the meeting. Trump, in his own written answers to Mueller's questions, said he had "no recollection" of the meeting in advance.
Mueller wasn't able to determine the truth.

Flynn's calls with Kislyak

Michael Flynn

What Michael Flynn said:

On January 24, 2017, Trump's first national security adviser Michael Flynn lied during an interview with FBI agents about his calls with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak. Flynn falsely denied asking Kislyak to hold back from strongly retaliating against new US sanctions. Flynn resigned after press reports revealed the calls, and later pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI.

What the report said:

"During the interview, which took place at the White House, Flynn falsely stated that he did not ask Kislyak to refrain from escalating the situation in response to the sanctions on Russia imposed by the Obama Administration."

KT McFarland

What KT McFarland said:

Michael Flynn's deputy, KT McFarland, provided false information to Washington Post columnist David Ignatius about Flynn's calls with Sergey Kislyak. She claimed the calls took place before the new sanctions were announced and that sanctions didn't come up. McFarland wasn't personally quoted in the subsequent article but appeared as an unnamed "Trump official," according to Mueller's report.

What the report said:

"Flynn directed McFarland to call the Washington Post columnist and inform him that no discussion of sanctions had occurred. McFarland recalled that Flynn said words to the effect of, 'I want to kill the story.' McFarland made the call as Flynn had requested although she knew she was providing false information."

The report shed new light on one of the earliest episodes in the investigation: The fallout from Flynn's phone calls with the Russian ambassador. Mueller identified at least seven lies and false assertions from five senior White House officials about the incident.
The cover story was that Flynn was in contact with then-Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak during the transition, but they never discussed sanctions. It soon came out that Flynn worked with Kislyak to tamp down the Russian response to sanctions imposed by the Obama administration to punish the Kremlin for interfering in the 2016 election.
The Mueller report detailed how Flynn lied repeatedly to FBI agents on White House grounds when he was interviewed in January 2017. That ultimately led to his resignation and criminal conviction for making false statements. He later became one of Mueller's marquee cooperators.
The report also laid out how Flynn lied to others in the White House. Vice President Mike Pence, former chief of staff Reince Priebus, and Spicer repeated Flynn's lies on national television and "unwittingly misled the American public," the report says.
While those officials were in the dark, Flynn's deputy KT McFarland knew the fuller story. Still, she called a prominent journalist and falsely denied that Flynn discussed sanctions.

Additional contacts with Russians

Additional contacts with Russians

Jared Kushner

What Jared Kushner and Avi Berkowitz said:

Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, who is now a senior White House adviser, met with a prominent Russian government banker in December 2016. When Mueller's investigators asked about that encounter, Kushner claimed nobody on the transition team prepared for the meeting.

What the report said:

"Kushner stated in an interview that he did not engage in any preparation for the meeting and that no one on the Transition Team even did a Google search for Gorkov's name... (Kushner's personal assistant Avi) Berkowitz, by contrast, stated to the Office that he had googled Gorkov's name and told Kushner that Gorkov appeared to be a banker."

The false narrative from Team Trump began two days after he was elected. Hope Hicks, his transition spokeswoman who later worked in the White House, said in two press interviews that, "there was no communication between the campaign and any foreign entity during the campaign."
It only took a few weeks for this narrative to start unraveling. Mueller's report exposed the breadth of these contacts, with more than 100 pages detailing the numerous meetings, phone calls, emails, text messages and other communications between Trump associates and Russians.
The report examined how several prominent Trump allies lied or made wrong assertions to investigators about their contacts with Russians -- in addition to the episodes already described above.
There's Kushner, who told Mueller that he didn't prepare at all for a meeting with a Russian banker, despite his personal assistant testifying that they used Google to find information on him. There's also Erik Prince, the Trump donor and Blackwater founder whose statements to Congress and the press were undercut by the report, which revealed that his meeting in the Seychelles with another Russian banker was highly choreographed and not some random encounter.
In the report, however, Mueller concedes that some Trump campaign associates stymied his efforts to run down every lead in the investigation of potential coordination with Russia, and that there might still be more to learn.

Attempts to fire Mueller

Firing of Special Counsel

The White House

What The White House said:

In June 2017, President Donald Trump dictated a statement for Press Secretary Sarah Sanders to provide to the press, saying Trump had "no intention" to fire special counsel Robert Mueller. Yet that same day, his attorneys contacted Mueller's office to flag their concerns about ethics, and shortly after, Trump told his White House counsel to remove Mueller from his duties.

What the report said:

"A threshold question is whether the President in fact directed McGahn to have the special counsel removed. After news organizations reported that in June 2017 the President had ordered McGahn to have the Special Counsel removed, the President publicly disputed these accounts ... "Substantial evidence, however, supports the conclusion that the President went further and in fact directed McGahn to call Rosenstein to have the Special Counsel removed."

Two times, Mueller explained how Trump attempted to cover up the episode where he had told White House counsel Don McGahn to rid him of the Mueller investigation.
In early 2018, news organizations were reporting that Trump had ordered McGahn to remove the special counsel. Mueller ultimately investigated this as part of his probe into whether the President obstructed justice.
Once the story broke, Trump dismissed it, calling it "fake news, folks. Fake news."
McGahn told Mueller the truth, the report found, and Mueller certified that McGahn had "no motive to lie or exaggerate given the position he held in the White House."

Presidential pardons

Presidential pardons

Donald Trump

What Donald Trump said:

Speaking to reporters at the White House on June 8, 2018, Trump said he wasn't considering pardons for anyone related to the Russia investigation. "I haven't even thought about it," he said, "I haven't thought about any of it. It certainly is far too early to be thinking about that." Yet Mueller documents how Cohen was given the opposite impression in multiple conversations with lawyers around the President.

What the report said:

The report does not say outright what the President's awareness was of these conversations, yet Mueller lays out a succession of evidence detailing the ways that Cohen got the impression that a pardon was possible. Mueller notes that Cohen "recalled speaking with the President's personal counsel about pardons after the searches of his home and office had occurred" in April 2018, two months before Trump's comments.

Mueller adds: "Cohen understood based on this conversation and previous conversations about pardons with the President's personal counsel that as long as he stayed on message, he would be taken care of by the President, either through a pardon or through the investigation being shut down."

The prospect of Trump using his presidential pardon powers to protect his allies never became a reality during the two-year course of the investigation, but it always bubbled near the surface.
Both publicly and privately, Trump and his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani repeatedly refused to rule out eventual pardons for Flynn, Manafort and for a brief stretch of time, even Cohen. The report identifies at least two instances where the White House gave bad information to the public about the status of these talks, denying that the topic of pardons was ever once raised.
These statements, and the backchannel talks among lawyers about how Trump would "take care of" people who didn't cooperate with Mueller, factored into the obstruction investigation. Mueller concluded that Trump "intended to encourage Manafort to not cooperate with the government" and that Trump wanted Manafort "to believe that he could receive a pardon."
This all came at a critical time. Manafort was mulling a plea deal, which he ultimately struck with Mueller's team. But while ostensibly assisting the investigation, Manafort lied about some topics at the heart of the investigation into potential coordination with Russia, and prosecutors later said he wasn't much help.
Despite the public suggestions, Trump hasn't granted any pardons to any Mueller defendants. Manafort arrived last week at a federal prison in Pennsylvania and is scheduled for release in 2024.

Russian hacks and WikiLeaks

Russian hacks and Wikileaks

Donald Trump

What Donald Trump said:

In an interview with Fox News on December 11, 2016, Trump falsely claimed that US intelligence agencies didn't know who was responsible for the election related hacks against Democrats. He said: "They have no idea if it's Russia or China or somebody. It could be somebody sitting in a bed some place. I mean, they have no idea." Trump said this even though the US intelligence community had already publicly blamed the Russian government for the hacks.

What the report said:

The report describes how the US government publicly blamed Russia for some of the hacks two months before Trump's comments. The report also notes that Trump said this shortly after "the press reported that U.S. intelligence agencies had 'concluded that Russia interfered in last month's presidential election to boost Donald Trump's bid for the White House.'" That article was soon confirmed in a January 2017 public report from US intelligence agencies on Russian meddling.

Despite overwhelming evidence, which was bolstered by the report, Trump himself has never unequivocally stated that he accepts that the Russian government interfered in the 2016 election, hacked the Democrats, and tried to give his campaign a political boost.
Mueller called this out in the report. He noted that despite public pronouncements from US intelligence agencies, Trump claimed they had "no idea if it's Russia" who did the hacking. The report concludes, once and for all, that Russia meddled "in sweeping and systematic fashion."
Trump has publicly questioned or dismissed these conclusions about Russian hacking many times -- even at the Helsinki summit, standing alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The report also describes how Jerome Corsi, a conservative author and conspiracy theorist with ties to Trump's orbit, provided bad information in his interviews with investigators. (Mueller said he "found little corroboration" for Corsi's claims about what he did on the day that the "Access Hollywood" tape came out, showing Trump speaking vulgarly about women.) Last year, Corsi said Mueller offered him a plea deal for lying, yet he says he rejected that deal, has maintained his innocence, and wasn't charged by Mueller.
Trump and his allies have danced around the question of Russian meddling for two-plus years. They've downplayed and obfuscated the impact of the Russian operation, and cozied up with WikiLeaks, the anti-secrecy group that published many of the hacked Democratic messages. The report puts to rest any questions about the major role Russia played in the 2016 election.

Other odds and ends

The Mueller report also documents a lie about hush money payments made to women alleging they'd had affairs with Trump, as well as a false statement to the public about former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page.
In one instance that Mueller cited, Cohen told the public in February 2018 that Trump was not "a party to" the hush money payments. Yet Cohen had discussed them with Trump.
These false claims became part of Cohen's guilty plea in 2018 for related crimes in a case brought by federal prosecutors in New York.
In another example of a lie in a moment of scrutiny, Mueller wrote that the Trump campaign told journalists that Carter Page had "no role" in their organization. The date was September 23, 2016, and Yahoo! News had reported that Page was under investigation for communicating with senior Russian officials about US policy. That same day, campaign staff members Jason Miller, Steve Bannon and Stephen Miller discussed over email plans to remove Page from the campaign, Mueller noted, and he was removed the next day.

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Willie Mays Fast Facts

Personal:
Birth date: May 6, 1931
Birth place: Westfield, Alabama
Birth name: William Howard Mays Jr.
Father: William Mays
Mother: Ann (Satterwhite) Mays
Marriages: Mae Louise Allen (1971-2013, her death); Margherite Wendell Chapman (1956-1961, divorced)
Children: adopted with Margherite Wendell Chapman: Michael
Military Service: US Army, 1952-1954
As of May 2017, only four other players in baseball history have hit more home runs than Mays: Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, and Alex Rodriguez.
Won 12 consecutive Gold Gloves.
Played in 24 All-Star Games and four World Series.
Godfather to baseball player Barry Bonds.
His nickname was the "Say Hey Kid."
Timeline:
1948-1950 - Plays for the Birmingham Black Barons, part of the Negro League.
1950 - Signed by the New York Giants as an amateur free agent.
1951-1957 - Plays for the New York Giants.
1951 - Is named National League Rookie of The Year.
1952-1954 - Serves in the US Army.
1954 - During the World Series, Mays makes an over-the-shoulder catch that is considered one of the most memorable moments in baseball history.
1954 - National league MVP.
1955, 1962, 1964, 1965 - Leads the National League in home runs.
1957 - Wins the first-ever Gold Glove for center field.
1958 - The New York Giants become the San Francisco Giants.
1958-1972 - Plays for the San Francisco Giants.
August 30, 1961 - Hits four home runs in one game.
1963 - MLB All-Star Game MVP.
1964 - Becomes the first black team captain in the major leagues.
1965 - National League MVP.
1968 - MLB All-Star Game MVP.
1972 - Is traded to the New York Mets.
1972-1973 - Plays for the New York Mets.
1973-1979 - New York Mets hitting instructor.
1979 - Is inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, receiving 409 out of 432 votes.
1986 - Assistant to the president of the Giants Organization. The position is extended for his lifetime in 1993.
2000 - Founds the Say Hey Foundation, which serves underprivileged children.
March 31, 2000 - A 23-ton bronze statue of Mays is unveiled at the new Major League ballpark in San Francisco.
December 2007 - Is inducted into the California Hall of Fame.

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Quickly catch up on the day's news

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Bolton says senior Venezuelan officials committed to backing Guaido

"We think it's still very important for key figures in the regime who have been talking to the opposition over these last three months to make good on their commitment to achieve the peaceful transfer of power from the Maduro" regime," Bolton told reporters outside the White House on Tuesday as clashes intensified between regime forces and opposition groups in Caracas.
Bolton specifically mentioned Vladimir Padrino, Venezuela's minister of defense, as well as the chief judge of the country's Supreme Court and the commander of presidential guard.

'They committed'

"All agreed Maduro had to go," Bolton said. "They committed to support ousting Maduro and it's time for them now, if the Cubans will let them do it, to fulfill their commitments."
Bolton warned that if opposition forces fail in their efforts to oust Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, the country will sink even deeper into a dictatorship.
"If this effort fails, they will sink into a dictatorship from which there are very few alternatives," Bolton said, adding that President Donald Trump "wants to see a peaceful transfer of power."
"It's a very delicate moment," he said.

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Starbucks rolls out summer menu with a hot pink Dragon Drink

Despite its name, the drink has nothing to do with "Game of Thrones." Dragon Drink was dreamed up by customers shortly after the company released the Mango Dragonfruit Refresher last year, which combines real fruit juice with sweet mango and dragonfruit flavors.
Customers started asking for coconut milk instead of water, which turned the drink into an Instagram-worthy pink hue. Dragon Drink became a secret menu item, but due to its popularity it's on Starbucks' permanent menu starting April 30.
Starbucks' newest drink is made with egg-white powder
Also added to the permanent menu are the Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino and the Caramel Ribbon Crunch Frappuccino. The frappuccinos make their return alongside the famous S'mores Frappuccino. The drink, which the company says is inspired by the "nostalgic summer experience of roasting s'mores" is back for a limited time in the United States and Canada.
The coffee company also rolled out two new food items: a grilled cheese -- with a three-cheese blend inside sourdough bread -- and a black bean veggie wrap -- with black beans, salsa and mixed veggies. The grilled cheese will be a permanent menu item, but the wrap will be available for a limited time.

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Facebook debuts new look and features to help move past old 'issues'

CEO Mark Zuckerberg kicked off the two-day event with a keynote address in front of about 5,000 attendees in San Jose, California, that revolved around his desire to make Facebook (FB) privacy-centric.
It's unclear if the new design and approach will usher in real change for the beleaguered company that reaches 2 billion people around the world, or if it's just a new coat of paint.
"I know we don't exactly have the strongest reputation on privacy right now, to put it lightly," said Zuckerberg, acknowledging skepticism around the company.
In addition to a new Facebook app design with a focus on groups, Facebook showed off a faster Messenger app that includes ways to watch videos together, and new features for Instagram, including an in-app AR camera and shopping options. It also announced its newest Oculus VR headsets would be available in May.
The company shared more news around its Facebook Dating feature announced at F8 last year. The tool, which is undergoing testing in countries such as Colombia and Canada, will roll out to 14 more countries today and to the US later this year. People will be able to use their first name to set up a dating profile on the platform, but it won't be visible to friends and will not show up in News Feeds.
A new option called "secret crush" will let users create a private list of friends they're interested in dating. If two friends puts each other on their secret list, Facebook will alert them. The platform is also adding a feature called Make New Friends to connect users interested in meeting new people.
F8 2019: What's new from Facebook and Instagram
The most important new features may be less exciting, like increased encryption options. Zuckerberg outlined six principles he said the company is focusing on going forward: private interactions, encryption, reduced permanence (meaning content and messages that disappear), safety, interoperability (being able to communicate across the company's different networks and platforms), and secure data storage (not storing user data in countries where it could be accessed, for example).
"I'm sure we're going to keep unearthing new issues for a while, so it may not seem like we're making progress at first," said Zuckerberg.
The company has had a turbulent past year, with a seemingly never-ending string of scandals touching on privacy, security, election meddling, misinformation and hate speech. It has spent large amounts of money and energy trying to address the issues and repair its reputation. Last week, Facebook said it was setting aside $3 billion to put toward an expected $3 billion to $5 billion fine from the Federal Trade Commission over privacy violations.
Zuckerberg is no stranger to trying to diffuse and spin the company's problems. He has used media interviews, an appearance in front of Congress, and his own Facebook posts to repeatedly apologize for the company's mistakes and promise to do better.

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What the uprising in Venezuela means for oil prices

US oil prices initially rallied on Tuesday as TV images depicted a violent uprising in Venezuela, which was once one of America's leading oil suppliers.
But crude prices have since retreated as observers try to decipher whether US-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido will be successful in his bid to oust President Nicolas Maduro.
"We simply don't know what is happening on the ground," said Helima Croft, global head of commodity strategy at RBC Capital Markets. "I would be cautious about saying we are in the final chapter."
Croft, a former CIA analyst, said it's unclear if the uprising is supported by senior military officers.
"Junior officer coups tend to be bloody, erratic and the success rates are lower," she said.
The crisis in Venezuela comes at a tricky time in the oil markets. Crude prices have surged in 2019 in response to deep supply cuts by OPEC and the Trump administration's crackdowns on two OPEC nations: Iran and Venezuela.
In the United States, the average gas price has climbed by 63 cents a gallon since the beginning of the year to $2.88, according to AAA.

Venezuela's oil exports plummet

The crisis in Venezuela has led to mass human suffering marked by shortages of food and medicine as well as widespread power outages.
Even though Venezuela has more oil reserves than any nation on the planet, production there has collapsed following years of underinvestment, recent blackouts and US sanctions on PDVSA, the state oil company.
Juan Guaido declares 'final phase' of operation to topple Venezuela's Maduro
Venezuela's daily oil production plunged from 1.2 million barrels in December 2018 to 750,000 barrels in March 2019, according to field level data from Rystad Energy.
Shipments to the United States, long Venezuela's leading customer, have vanished after the PDVSA sanctions.
Overall, Venezuela exported just 476,000 barrels of oil per day in April, down from 1.24 million in January, according to S&P Global Platts Analytics and cFlow tanker tracking.

Recovery could take years

Venezuela's oil industry may rapidly rebound if Guaido takes over.
The United States reiterated its support for the people of Venezuela and Guaido on Tuesday. In a statement, the Treasury Department said the "path to sanctions relief" for PDVSA and other institutions is to support Guaido and "those who seek to restore democracy."
In other words, Washington could quickly lift the oil sanctions on Venezuela, paving the way for more barrels to reach the market.
"If Maduro is ousted, that would actually be bearish for oil," said Ryan Fitzmaurice, an energy strategist at Rabobank.
But the recovery would likely not be swift.
Even after three or four months, Venezuela's oil output would likely only rebound to about 900,000 barrels, according to Artyom Tchen, Rystad Energy's senior analyst.
"The crisis in Venezuela is multi-decades in the making. That is what people need to understand," said RBC's Croft. "If Juan Guaido comes to power, the road back is going to be arduous."
And even if Maduro is ousted, violence could linger as his supporters fight back.
But it remains unclear if Guaido will be successful. If Maduro prevails, the United States could be forced to impose even tougher sanctions that only push Venezuela's oil production lower. That would be a bullish driver for oil prices.
"Momentum around Guaido was lagging. He had to do something," said Reva Goujon, vice president of global analysis at consulting firm Stratfor.
Warren Buffett gets in the middle of oil bidding war
Goujon said the key thing to watch is whether military forces aligned with Guaido move to secure Venezuela's oil facilities, including the Jose oil export terminal and drilling infrastructure in the Orinoco Belt.

Will OPEC or Texas make up for Venezuela?

Worries about Venezuela's shrinking oil output have been somewhat mitigated by hopes that OPEC could act.
US President Donald Trump has urged OPEC to prevent a price spike by ramping up production.
However, Saudi Arabia Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih signaled on Tuesday that the kingdom is no rush to pump more oil. He told Russia's RIA news agency that OPEC and its allies could even extend their supply cut agreement to the end of 2019.
America's oil producers are likely to respond to higher prices by increasing output. The shale oil revolution has catapulted the United States beyond Saudi Arabia and Russia as the world's leading oil producer.
The gains have been driven by the Permian Basin, the West Texas shale oilfield that is at the heart of a bidding war over control of Anadarko Petroleum (APC).
However, US Gulf Coast refiners can't solely rely on high-quality shale oil, which is very light. To churn out gasoline, jet fuel and diesel, US refineries require a steady dose of the heavy crude — the kind typically found in Venezuela.
"A Permian barrel is not a replacement for a Venezuelan barrel," said Croft.

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Schiff to send criminal referral to Justice Department for Erik Prince

Prince's testimony has come under scrutiny after the release of special counsel Robert Mueller's report, which raised questions about Prince's meeting with a high-ranking Russian official during the Trump transition.
"There's very strong evidence that he willingly misled the committee and made false statements, and later today we are going to make a criminal referral to the Justice Department," Schiff said at a Washington Post Live event.
Erik Prince financed effort to find Clinton's emails, Mueller report says
Congress has the ability to send criminal referrals to the Justice Department, which is in effect a request that the Justice Department investigate whether crimes were committed. Congressional Republicans have also submitted referrals to the Justice Department related to the various congressional Russia investigations, including for ex-British intelligence agent Christopher Steele and former Trump attorney Michael Cohen. Mueller's team also accused Roger Stone of lying to the House Intelligence Committee in its indictment of Stone. Stone has pleaded not guilty.
Matthew Schwartz, a lawyer for Prince, said in a statement there was "no new evidence here."
"Erik Prince's House testimony has been public for months, including at all times that Mr. Prince met with the special counsel's office," Schwartz said. "Mr. Prince cooperated completely with the special counsel's investigation, as its report demonstrates. There is nothing new here for the Department of Justice to consider, nor is there any reason to question the special counsel's decision to credit Mr. Prince and rely on him in drafting its report."
Prince testified before the House Intelligence Committee in 2017 behind closed doors, and a transcript was later released publicly. Schiff said his criminal referral is tied to Prince's statements on his meeting in the Seychelles Islands with Kirill Dmitriev, the chief executive officer of Russia's sovereign wealth fund.
Prince told the committee that the January 2017 meeting was a chance encounter in a bar following a meeting with George Nader, an emissary for the United Arab Emirates. He also said he was not representing Trump in any way.
But the Mueller report poked several holes in that story.
Mueller wrote that the meeting with Dmitriev was established prior to Prince's trip, and Prince told Dmitriev he would relay information back to Trump's then-chief strategist Steve Bannon. Prince and Dmitriev also met twice, first in Nader's villa and then in a restaurant, according to the Mueller report.
Schiff said he was sending the referral to the Justice Department so it will "consider whether it can make a prosecutable case." But he acknowledged that a criminal case could be hard to make because of the circumstances that Prince testified to Mueller.
"You can't lie to Congress ... but if the evidence that his testimony is false was given to the Justice Department by Prince under the condition it not be used against him, then being able to prove the case may be problematic," Schiff said. "But that's something the Justice Department will need to carefully scrutinize."
Schiff declined to say whether he is considering sending any other criminal referrals for other witnesses who have testified before his committee, such as Trump's son Donald Trump Jr. and son-in-law Jared Kushner.

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Juan Guaido declares 'final phase' of operation to topple Venezuela's Maduro

His call brought protesters to the city's La Carlota military airbase, where there were confrontations between Guaido's military supporters and Maduro regime loyalists under a cloud of tear gas as gun shots rang through the air.
In live agency video from the ground, opposition protesters appeared to be throwing objects at military vehicles immediately before one plowed straight into the crowd, knocking a number of people down.
As the day went on, crowds swarmed onto the streets and some members of the military, national guard, and armed forces appeared to switch sides and brandished blue armbands in solidarity to the opposition.
According to Venezuela's Minister of Defense Vladimir Padrino, a military colonel was shot during clashes on the Francisco Fajardo highway. Padrino tweeted that he holds "the opposition political leadership responsible."

Juan Guaido's "final phase"

The unrest started with a dawn address, in which Guaido declared he was "beginning the final phase of Operation Freedom," an escalation of his bid to oust Maduro, which started in January.
Guaido leads Venezuela's National Assembly and has been recognized as the nation's interim president by dozens of other countries. He has led months of protest against the government, but his April 30 speech marked his most successful attempt yet to involve the military in the removal of the Venezuelan leader.
Speaking alongside opposition figure Leopoldo Lopez -- freed from house arrest by defecting soldiers -- Guaido declared the "start of the end of the usurpation" in a video filmed outside La Carlota military airbase in Caracas early on Tuesday. He was flanked by men in military fatigues and armored vehicles.
Venezuela's Information Minister Jorge Rodríguez called Guaido's action a "coup" on Twitter, adding that the government is "deactivating a small number of traitorous military personnel."
"We call on the people to remain in maximum alert so that, together with the glorious Bolivian armed forces, we defeat this attempted coup and preserve peace. We will win," he said.

Military involvement

Later in the day, Guaido made his way to Plaza Altamira, the center of the city's opposition heartland. "For many years we have talked to the armed forces and today it's clear to us that the armed forces are with the Venezuelan people, who are not with a dictator," Guaido told a heaving crowd of supporters, who were cheering "Yes, we can."
Using a megaphone, the 35-year-old said the demonstration was peaceful, "in accordance with our constitution," and it was Maduro who was carrying out a coup.
"The coup d'etat is being done at a stage by those who use paramilitaries to attack us. The soldiers are here to defend our people," he added.
Earlier, Guaido had told CNN that Maduro had lost the support of the country's military. "It's great news for the entire country that the military of Venezuela's armed forces have taken this step. They were an important part of this. This was fundamental not only for a transitioning, but to recover Venezuela's sovereignty," he said.
Guaido had previously called for nationwide demonstrations on May 1. On Tuesday, he said his announcement signaled the start of that protest a day early. That came after he spent the last few weeks visiting towns and cities outside Caracas, drawing large crowds in his bid to pressure Maduro to step down.
It is unclear, however, whether Guaido's move will gain traction or how much military support he has. "The situation is under control," Maduro's Communications Vice Minister Isbemar Jimenez told CNN on Tuesday. "All military garrisons support Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro."
Maduro said in a tweet that regional defense bodies had expressed "total loyalty." He matched Guaido's call for supporters, imploring the public to rally for "maximum popular mobilization."
His vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, called for people to head to Miraflores, the presidential palace, and "defend peace."
Guaido's representative in the US told CNN that the opposition leader has the support of the "middle and lower ranks" of the military.
"What you have seen is only a statement from the privileged elite of the army force. We have the support of the middle and lower ranks," diplomat Carlos Vecchio told CNN's Christiane Amanpour.
He also confirmed that Guaido's side has not had any negotiations with Maduro. "The only negotiation that we could have is just the exit of Maduro," he said. "The day and the hour and how."

International reaction

As Guaido's supporters massed around La Carlota airbase, the United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a tweet that the American government "fully supports" the operation launched by the opposition leader.
United States Sen. Marco Rubio, a vocal critic of Maduro, urged Venezuela's military to support Guaido on Twitter.
US sanctions Maduro's foreign minister
"This is the moment for those military officers in #Venezuela to fulfill their constitutional oath & defend the legitimate interim President (Guaido's) in this effort to restore democracy. You can write history in the hours & days ahead," he wrote.
Brazil's far-right President Jair Bolsonaro also tweeted his support for Guaidó and "the freedom of Venezuelans" while Colombia President Ivan Dunque called on Venezuelans and the military to "be on the right side of history, rejecting dictatorship and usurpation of Maduro."
Ecuador's Foreign Minister José Valencia also tweeted the government's "strong support" of Guaido.
Meanwhile, Cuban and Russian officials have rejected the opposition. And Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said he retains his neutral position on Venezuela.
Guaido emerged from obscurity when he was named president of the National Assembly on January 5. His arrival to the political scene has re-energized opposition to Maduro's government, which foreign powers and domestic rivals say was returned to power in a sham election last year.
Guaido speaks on his cell phone outside La Carlota airbase where loyalist soldiers are based in Caracas.
He has promised a transitional government and free elections to end the rule of the socialist Maduro regime, which has overseen the once-wealthy oil nation's descent into economic collapse and a humanitarian crisis.
After Guaido declared himself acting president in January, Maduro's administration repeatedly blamed the US of orchestrating a coup to remove him.
The president has denied a humanitarian crisis exists in the country -- refusing to accept much-needed foreign aid, while also blaming blackouts on a terror attack and American sabotage.

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America is running out of Impossible Burgers

Interest in Impossible Foods' plant-based meat alternative is growing so much that the company is struggling to keep up, the company said Tuesday.
The acknowledgment comes just after the company expanded its partnership with Burger King. Earlier this week, the fast food chain shared that it plans to sell the meatless patty as a Whopper at all of its US locations by the end of the year. Restaurant Brands International, which owns Burger King, said a St. Louis test of the Impossible Whopper went "exceedingly well."
That nationwide rollout would essentially double the amount of restaurants that Impossible works with. Burger King had about 7,300 locations nationwide at the close of last year. Right now, Impossible supplies its product to about 7,000 restaurants.
On top of that, demand for Impossible products within those 7,000 locations has more than doubled, Impossible Foods CFO David Lee told CNN Business.
The company also said it's been stretched thin because of growth from "every sales category where Impossible Foods does business," including small restaurants, other chains, like White Castle, and attractions, like theme parks and college campuses.
In a statement, Impossible said that it "recognizes the inconvenience that this shortage is causing and sincerely apologizes to all customers, particularly those who have come to depend on the additional foot traffic and revenue that the Impossible Burger has generated."
Impossible added that it is not facing a shortage of the ingredients it uses to make the plant-based meat. "We are facing short-term ramp-up challenges resulting from demand greatly outstripping supply," it said.
To keep up with demand, Impossible is increasing the number of hours its Oakland, California, plant is open. It's also hiring for a planned third shift. And it is installing a second production line that the company says "should double current capacity."
Lee said he is confident that Impossible will ultimately be able to meet the demand. The company is "not sparing any expense" to keep up, Lee told CNN Business. "We absolutely will continue fundraising."
Until the shortage is resolved, Impossible is encouraging its fans to call ahead to see if their restaurant has the meat in stock.

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Surfing legend Vincent 'Sunny' Garcia hospitalized, surf league says

"With heavy hearts we confirm that Sunny Garcia is in the ICU in the hospital," the WSL said of the 49-year-old surfer and actor in a statement to CNN.
"Sunny has always been a great champion of surfing, both in and out of the water," the WSL said via its verified Twitter account early Tuesday. "Our prayers are with him and his loved ones at this deeply challenging time."
The WSL did not immediately provide details of the location of the hospital or the reason for Garcia's hospitalization. CNN has reached out for more information.
Garcia's friend and fellow pro surfer Kelly Slater took to Instagram on Tuesday morning to offer his best wishes. "Sunny...I love you, brother. I just can't even fathom you not here," Slater posted on his Instagram account. "We've got so much more living to do before we are done."
Garcia, a native of Oahu, Hawaii, learned to surf at 5 years old, turned professional at 16 and went on to win six Triple Crown championships as well as the WSL's world championship in 2000, according to the Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame. In recognition of his career achievements, Garcia was inducted into the Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame and the Surfing Walk of Fame.
Garcia has also appeared in more than 75 surf movies, television shows and videos, the Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame notes.

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Controversial Police Encounters Fast Facts

1991 - Los Angeles - Rodney King
March 3, 1991 - LAPD officers beat motorist Rodney King after he leads police on a high-speed chase through Los Angeles County. George Holliday videotapes the beating from his apartment balcony. The video shows police beating King more than 50 times with their batons. Over 20 officers are present at the scene, mostly from the LAPD. King suffers 11 fractures and other injuries.
March 15, 1991 - A Los Angeles grand jury indicts Sergeant Stacey Koon and Officers Laurence Michael Powell, Timothy Wind and Theodore Briseno in connection with the beating.
May 10, 1991 - A grand jury refuses to indict 17 officers who stood by at the King beating and did nothing.
April 29, 1992 - The four LAPD officers are acquitted of beating King. Riots break out at the intersection of Florence and Normandie in South Central Los Angeles. Governor Pete Wilson declares a state of emergency and calls in the National Guard. Riots in the next few days leave more than 50 people dead and cause nearly $1 billion in property damage.
May 1, 1992 - King makes an emotional plea for calm, "People, I just want to say, can we all get along? Can we get along? Can we stop making it horrible for the older people and the kids?"
August 4, 1992 - A federal grand jury returns indictments against Koon, Powell, Wind, and Briseno on the charge of violating King's civil rights.
April 17, 1993 - Koon and Powell are convicted for violating King's civil rights. Wind and Briseno are found not guilty. No disturbances follow the verdict.
August 4, 1993 - US District Court Judge John Davies sentences both Koon and Powell to 30 months in prison. Powell is found guilty of violating King's constitutional right to be free from an arrest made with "unreasonable force." Koon, the ranking officer, is convicted of permitting the civil rights violation to occur.
April 19, 1994 - The federal court awards King $3.8 million in compensatory damages in a civil lawsuit against the City of Los Angeles. King had demanded $56 million, or $1 million for every blow struck by the officers.
June 1, 1994 - In a civil trial against the police officers, a jury awards King $0 in punitive damages. He had asked for $15 million.
1992 - Detroit - Malice Wayne Green
November 5, 1992 - Two white police officers approach Malice Wayne Green, a 35-year-old black motorist, after he parks outside a suspected drug den. Witnesses say the police strike the unarmed man in the head repeatedly with heavy flashlights. The officers claim they feared Green was trying to reach for one of their weapons. Green dies of his injuries later that night.
November 16, 1992 - Two officers, Larry Nevers and Walter Budzyn, are charged with second-degree murder. Sgt. Freddie Douglas, a supervisor who arrived on the scene after a call for backup, is charged with involuntary manslaughter and willful neglect of duty. Another officer, Robert Lessnau, is charged with assault with intent to do great bodily harm.
November 18, 1992 - The Detroit Free Press reports that toxicology tests revealed alcohol and a small amount of cocaine in Green's system. A medical examiner later states that Green's head injuries, combined with the cocaine and alcohol in his system, led to his death.
August 23, 1993 - Nevers and Budzyn are convicted of murder after a 45-day trial. Lessnau is acquitted. Nevers sentence is 12 to 25 years, while Budzyn's sentence is eight to 18 years. The charge against Douglas had been dismissed before the trial.
2006 - Nevers' book about the incident and the trial, "Good Cops, Bad Verdict: How Racial Politics Convicted Us of Murder," is published.
1997 - New York - Abner Louima
August 9, 1997 - Abner Louima, a 33-year-old Haitian immigrant, is arrested for interfering with officers trying to break up a fight in front of the Club Rendez-vous nightclub in Brooklyn. Louima alleges, while handcuffed, police officers lead him to the precinct bathroom and sodomized him with a plunger or broomstick.
August 15, 1997 - Police officers Justin Volpe and Charles Schwarz are charged with aggravated sexual abuse and first-degree assault.
August 16, 1997 - Thousands of angry protesters, many waving toilet plungers, gather outside Brooklyn's 70th Precinct to demonstrate against what they say is a long-standing problem of police brutality against minorities. Throughout the day, protesters, many of them Haitian, taunt police, chanting, "No justice, no peace." At some times, protesters stand toe to toe with officers watching the protest from behind a barricade, and call the officers racist and fascist.
February 26, 1998 - Volpe, Bruder, Schwarz and Wiese are indicted on federal civil rights charges in Louima's case. A fifth officer, Michael Bellomo, is accused of helping the others cover up the alleged beating, as well as an alleged assault on another Haitian immigrant, Patrick Antoine, the same night.
May 1999 - Volpe pleads guilty to beating and sodomizing Louima. He is later sentenced to 30 years in prison.
June 8, 1999 - Schwarz is convicted of beating Louima, then holding him down while he was being tortured. Wiese, Bruder, and Bellomo are acquitted. Schwarz is later sentenced to 15 and a half years in prison for perjury.
March 6, 2000 - In a second trial, Schwarz, Wiese, and Bruder are convicted for conspiring to obstruct justice by covering up the attack.
September 2002 - Schwarz pleads guilty to perjury and is sentenced to five years in prison. He had been scheduled to face a new trial for civil rights violations but agreed to a deal with prosecutors.
1999 - New York - Amadou Diallo
February 4, 1999 - Amadou Diallo, 22, a street vendor from West Africa, is confronted outside his home in the Bronx by four NYPD officers who are searching the neighborhood for a rapist. When Diallo reaches for his wallet, the officers open fire, reportedly fearing he was pulling out a gun. They fire 41 times and hit him 19 times, killing him.
March 24, 1999 - More than 200 protestors are arrested outside NYPD headquarters. For weeks, activists have gathered almost daily to protest the use of force by NYPD officers.
March 25, 1999 - A Bronx grand jury votes to indict the four officers - Sean Carroll, Edward McMellon, Kenneth Boss and Richard Murphy - for second-degree murder.
February 25, 2000 - The officers are acquitted of state murder charges.
January 2001 - The US Justice Department announces it will not pursue federal civil rights charges against the officers.
January 2004 - Diallo's family settles a wrongful death lawsuit for $3 million dollars.
2005 - New Orleans - The Danziger Bridge shootings
September 4, 2005 - Six days after Hurricane Katrina devastates the area, New Orleans police officers receive a radio call that two officers are down under the Danziger vertical-lift bridge. According to the officers, people were shooting at them and they returned fire.
-- Brothers Ronald and Lance Madison, along with four members of the Bartholomew family, are shot by police officers. Ronald Madison, 40, who is intellectually disabled, and James Brisette, 17 (some sources say 19), are fatally wounded.
December 28, 2006 - Police Sgts. Kenneth Bowen and Robert Gisevius and officers Robert Faulcon and Anthony Villavaso are charged with first-degree murder. Officers Robert Barrios, Michael Hunter and Ignatius Hills are charged with attempted murder.
August 2008 - State charges against the officers are thrown out.
July 12, 2010 - Four officers are indicted on federal charges of murdering Brissette: Bowen, Gisevius, Faulcon and Villavaso. Faulcon is also charged with Madison's murder. Bowen, Gisevius, Faulcon and Villavaso, along with Arthur Kaufman and Gerard Dugue are charged with covering up the shooting.
April 8, 2010 - Hunter pleads guilty in federal court of covering up the police shooting. In December, he is sentenced to eight years in prison.
August 5, 2011 - The jury finds five officers guilty of civil rights and obstruction charges: Bowen, Gisevius, Faulcon, Villavaso and Kaufman.
October 5, 2011 - Hills receives a six and a half year sentence for his role in the shooting.
April 4, 2012 - A federal judge sentences five officers to prison terms ranging from six to 65 years for the shootings of unarmed civilians. Faulcon receives 65 years. Bowen and Gisevius both receive 40 years. Villavaso receives 38 years. Kaufman was not involved in the shooting, just the cover up, so he receives a lighter sentence than the others do.
March 2013 - After a January 2012 mistrial, Dugue's trial is delayed indefinitely.
September 17, 2013 - Bowen, Gisevius, Faulcon, Villavaso and Kaufman are awarded a new trial.
April 20, 2016 - Bowen, Gisevius, Faulcon, Villavaso and Kaufman plead guilty in exchange for reduced sentences. The five officers will serve between three and 12 years in prison, down from their original sentences of six to 65 years.
2006 - New York - Sean Bell
November 25, 2006 - Sean Bell, 23, is fatally shot by NYPD officers outside a Queens bar the night before his wedding. Two of his companions, Joseph Guzman and Trent Benefield, are wounded in the gunfire. Officers reportedly fired 50 times at the men.
December 2006 - Al Sharpton leads a rally in Manhattan, "Shopping for Justice," to protest the shooting.
March 2007 - Three of the five officers involved in the shooting are indicted: Detectives Gescard F. Isnora and Michael Oliver are charged with manslaughter, and Michael Oliver is charged with reckless endangerment.
April 25, 2008 - The three officers are acquitted of all charges.
February 16, 2010 - The Department of Justice announces that it will not pursue federal civil rights charges against the police officers.
July 27, 2010 - New York City settles a lawsuit for more than $7 million filed by Bell's family and two of his friends.
2009 - Oakland, California - Oscar Grant
January 1, 2009 - San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) officer Johannes Mehserle shoots Oscar Grant, an unarmed 22-year-old, in the back while he is lying face down on a platform at the Fruitvale BART station in Oakland.
January 7, 2009 - Footage from station KTVU shows demonstrators vandalizing businesses and assaulting police in Oakland during a protest. About 105 people are arrested. Some protesters lie on their stomachs, saying they were showing solidarity with Grant, who was shot in the back.
January 27, 2010 - The mother of Grant's young daughter receives a $1.5 million settlement in her lawsuit against BART.
July 8, 2010 - A jury finds Mehserle guilty of involuntary manslaughter. At the trial, Mehserle says that he intended to draw and fire his Taser rather than his gun.
November 5, 2010 - Mehserle is sentenced to two years in prison. He will be able to apply 292 days of time served and may be released in seven months. Outrage over the light sentence leads to a night of violent protests.
June 2011 - Mehserle is released from prison.
July 30, 2013 - A federal appeals court rejects Mehserle's claim of immunity. This allows Grant's father to file a civil lawsuit against Mehserle.
July 12, 2013 - The movie, "Fruitvale Station" opens in limited release. It dramatizes the final hours of Grant's life.
July 7, 2014 - The federal jury does not award any damages in the civil lawsuit brought by Grant's father.
2011 - Fullerton, California - Kelly Thomas
July 5, 2011 - Fullerton police officers respond to a call about a homeless man looking into car windows and pulling on handles of cars. Surveillance camera footage shows Thomas being beaten, clubbed and stunned with a Taser by police. Thomas, who was mentally ill, dies five days later in the hospital. When the surveillance video of Thomas's beating is released in May 2012, it sparks a nationwide outcry.
May 9, 2012 - Officer Manuel Ramos is charged with second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter, and Cpl. Jay Patrick Cicinelli is charged with involuntary manslaughter and felony use of excessive force.
May 16, 2012 - The City of Fullerton awards $1 million to Thomas' mother, Cathy Thomas.
January 13, 2014 - A jury acquits Ramos and Cicinelli. The charges against Wolfe are dropped.
January 23, 2017 - Department of Justice officials announce they will not pursue federal charges against the three officers for civil rights violations.
2014 - New York - Eric Garner
July 17, 2014 - Eric Garner, 43, dies after Officer Daniel Pantaleo tackles him to the ground in a department-banned chokehold during an arrest for allegedly selling cigarettes illegally. Garner is restrained on the ground by several officers. "I can't breathe," says Garner, who has asthma. The incident is recorded via cellphone video. Garner dies later that day.
August 1, 2014 - The New York City Medical Examiner rules Garner's death a homicide.
December 3, 2014 - A grand jury decides not to indict Pantaleo. Protests are held in New York, Washington, Philadelphia and Oakland, California. People chant Garner's last words, "I can't breathe!"
2014 - Ferguson, Missouri - Michael Brown
August 9, 2014 - During a struggle, a police officer in Ferguson fatally shoots an unarmed man, Michael Brown, 18.
August 9-10, 2014 - Approximately 1,000 demonstrators protest Brown's death. The Ferguson-area protest turns violent and police begin using tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd. Black Lives Matter, a protest movement that grew out of the Trayvon Martin shooting in 2012, grows in visibility during the Ferguson demonstrations.
August 15, 2014 - Police identify the officer as 28-year-old Darren Wilson. Wilson is put on paid administrative leave after the incident, and he is required to undergo two psychological evaluations before returning to duty. Governor Jay Nixon decides to put the Missouri State Highway Patrol in charge of security.
August 18, 2014 - Governor Jay Nixon calls in the Missouri National Guard to protect the police command center.
November 24, 2014 - A grand jury does not indict Wilson for Brown's shooting. Documents show that Wilson fired his gun 12 times. Protests erupt after the hearing in Ferguson and nationwide.
November 29, 2014 - Wilson resigns from the Ferguson police force.
March 11, 2015 - Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson resigns a week after a scathing Justice Department report slams his department.
August 9-10, 2015 - The anniversary observations of Brown's death are largely peaceful during the day Sunday. After dark, shots are fired, businesses are vandalized and there are tense standoffs between officers and protestors, according to police. The next day, a state of emergency is declared and fifty-six people are arrested during a demonstration at a St. Louis courthouse.
June 20, 2017 - A settlement is reached in the Brown family wrongful death lawsuit against the city of Ferguson. While the details of the settlement are not disclosed to the public, US Federal Judge Richard Webber called the settlement, "fair and reasonable compensation."
2015 - North Charleston, South Carolina - Walter Scott
April 4, 2015 - North Charleston police officer Michael Slager fatally shoots Walter Scott, 50, an unarmed motorist stopped for a broken brake light. Slager says he feared for his life after Scott grabbed his Taser.
April 7, 2015 - Cellphone video of the incident is released. It shows Scott running away and Slager shooting him in the back. Slager is charged with first-degree murder.
September 10, 2015 - Slager's attorneys make the case for him to be released on bond, after court documents reveal new details from the toxicology report, blood analysis and Taser data. The judge declines to release Slater on bond.
October 8, 2015 - The North Charleston City Council approves a $6.5 million settlement with the family of Walter Scott.
January 4, 2016 - Slager is released on a $500,000 cash bond.
May 11, 2016 - A federal grand jury indicts Slager for misleading investigators and violating the civil rights of Walter Scott.
November 3, 2016 - Opening statements begin in Slager's trial.
November 29, 2016 - Slager testifies on the stand.
May 2, 2017 - Slager pleads guilty to a federal charge of using excessive force. The crime is a felony, punishable by up to life in prison. State murder charges against Slager -- as well as two other federal charges -- will be dismissed as part of a plea deal.
December 7, 2017 - US District Court Judge David Norton sentences Slager to 20 years in federal prison for killing Scott.
2015 - Baltimore - Freddie Gray
April 12, 2015 - Police arrest 25-year-old Freddie Gray on a weapons charge after he is found with a knife in his pocket. Witness video contains audio of Gray screaming as officers carry him to the prisoner transport van. After arriving at the police station, he is transferred to a trauma clinic with a severe spinal injury. He falls into a coma and dies one week later.
April 21, 2015 - The names of six officers involved in the arrest are released. Lt. Brian Rice, 41, Officer Caesar Goodson, 45, Sgt. Alicia White, 30, Officer William Porter, 25, Officer Garrett Miller, 26, and Officer Edward Nero, 29, are all suspended.
April 24, 2015 - Baltimore police acknowledge Gray did not get timely medical care after his arrest and was not buckled into a seat belt while being transported in a police van.
April 27, 2015 - Protests turn into riots on the day of Gray's funeral. At least 20 officers are injured as police and protesters clash on the streets. A video shows police in riot gear take cover behind an armored vehicle, as protesters pelt them with rocks. Gov. Larry Hogan's office declares a state of emergency and activates the National Guard to address the unrest.
May 21, 2015 - A Baltimore grand jury indicts six officers in the death of Freddie Gray. The officers face a range of charges from involuntary manslaughter to reckless endangerment. Goodman, the driver of the transport van, will face the most severe charge: second-degree depraved-heart murder.
September 10, 2015 - Judge Barry Williams denies the defendants' motion to move their trials out of Baltimore, a day after officials approve a $6.4 million deal to settle all civil claims tied to Gray's death.
November 30, 2015 - Porter's trial begins. He faces charges of manslaughter, assault and reckless endangerment. The Baltimore jury is comprised of eight women, five black and three white, and four men, three black and one white. The alternates are three white men and one black man.
December 7, 2015 - Due to a medical emergency, the judge dismisses a juror. The jury is now comprised of seven women, four black and three white, and five men, three black and two white. The alternates are two white men and one black man.
December 16, 2015 - The judge declares a mistrial in Porter's case after jurors say they are deadlocked.
June 23, 2016 - Goodson is acquitted of all charges.
July 18, 2016 - Rice, the highest-ranking officer to stand trial, is found not guilty on all charges. Rice had been charged with involuntary manslaughter, reckless endangerment and misconduct in office.
July 27, 2016 - Prosecutors drop charges against the three remaining officers awaiting trial in connection with Gray's death.
August 10, 2016 - A Justice Department investigation finds that the Baltimore Police Department engages in unconstitutional practices that lead to disproportionate rates of stops, searches and arrests of African-Americans. The report also finds excessive use of force against juveniles and people with mental health disabilities.
April 7, 2017 - A federal judge approves the consent decree and rejects a request from the Justice Department for a 30-day delay to review the agreement.
September 12, 2017 - The Justice Department announces it will not pursue federal civil rights charges against the six Baltimore police officers.
2015 - Chicago - Laquan McDonald
October 20, 2014 - Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke shoots and kills Laquan McDonald, 17. McDonald was armed with a 3-inch knife and had the drug PCP in his system, according to toxicology reports. However, he was not menacing anyone up close, standing at least ten feet from the nearest person. According to a police union spokesperson, an officer told McDonald to drop the knife but he did not comply. Later, an autopsy shows McDonald was shot 16 times.
April 13, 2015 - Federal and state authorities announce that they will conduct a joint investigation into McDonald's death spearheaded by the Chicago branch of the FBI.
April 15, 2015 - The city reaches a settlement with McDonald's family, agreeing to pay $5 million, though the family had not filed a lawsuit.
November 19, 2015 - A judge in Chicago orders the city to release the police dashcam video that shows the shooting. For months, the city had fought attempts to have the video released to the public, saying it could jeopardize any ongoing investigation. The decision is the result of a Freedom of Information Act request by freelance journalist, Brandon Smith.
August 30, 2016 - Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson files administrative charges against six officers involved in the shooting. Five officers will have their cases heard by the Chicago Police Board, which will rule if the officers will be terminated. The sixth officer charged has resigned.
March 2017 - Van Dyke is indicted on 16 additional counts of aggravated battery with a firearm. The new charges apparently correspond to each shot he fired at McDonald.
June 27, 2017 - Three officers are indicted on felony conspiracy, official misconduct and obstruction of justice charges for allegedly lying to investigators.
October 5, 2018 - Van Dyke is found guilty of second-degree murder and of 16 counts of aggravated battery with a firearm, but not guilty of official misconduct. Though he was originally charged with first-degree murder, jurors were instructed on October 4 that they also could consider second-degree murder.
January 17, 2019 - Cook County Associate Judge Domenica Stephenson finds three Chicago police officers not guilty of covering up details in the 2014 killing of McDonald. Stephenson's ruling came more than a month after the officers' five-day bench trial ended.
2016 - Falcon Heights, Minnesota - Philando Castile
July 6, 2016 - Police officer Jeronimo Yanez shoots and kills Philando Castile during a traffic stop in Falcon Heights. Castile's girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, live-streams the aftermath of the confrontation, and says Castile was reaching for his identification when he was shot.
November 16, 2016 - Yanez is charged with second-degree manslaughter and two felony counts of dangerous discharge of a firearm.
February 27, 2017 - Yanez pleads not guilty.
June 26, 2017 - It is announced that the family of Castile has reached a $3 million settlement with the city of St. Anthony, Minnesota.
November 29, 2017 - The city of St. Anthony announces that Reynolds has settled with two cities for $800,000. St. Anthony will pay $675,000 of the settlement, while an insurance trust will pay $125,000 on behalf of Roseville.
2016 - Tulsa, Oklahoma - Terence Crutcher
September 16, 2016 - Tulsa Police Officer Betty Shelby fatally shoots Terence Crutcher, a 40-year-old unarmed black man, after his car is found abandoned in the middle of the road.
September 19, 2016 - The Tulsa Police Department releases video of the incident captured by a police helicopter, showing Shelby and other officers at the scene. At a news conference, the police chief tells reporters Crutcher was unarmed. Both the US Department of Justice and state authorities have launched investigations into the officer-involved shooting.
September 22, 2016 - Officer Shelby is charged with felony first-degree manslaughter. The criminal complaint against Shelby says her "fear resulted in her unreasonable actions which led her to shooting" Crutcher. She is accused of "unlawfully and unnecessarily" shooting Crutcher after he did not comply with her "lawful orders."
November 29, 2016 - Shelby is ordered to stand trial for first-degree manslaughter.
April 2, 2017 - During an interview on "60 Minutes," Shelby says race was not a factor in her decision to open fire, and Crutcher "caused" his death when he ignored her commands, reaching into his vehicle to retrieve what she believed was a gun. "I saw a threat and I used the force I felt necessary to stop a threat."
May 15, 2017 - Shelby takes the witness stand in her own defense, testifying that she opened fire because she feared for her life when Crutcher reached into his vehicle to get what could have been a gun. Shelby says the decision to shoot Crutcher stemmed from her police training.
May 17, 2017 - Shelby is acquitted of felony manslaughter.
July 14, 2017 - Shelby announces she will resign from the Tulsa Police Department in August.
October 25, 2017 - A Tulsa County District Court judge grants Shelby's petition to have her record expunged.
2018 - Pittsburgh - Antwon Rose II
June 19, 2018 - Antwon Rose II, an unarmed 17-year-old, is shot and killed by police officer Michael Rosfeld in East Pittsburgh. Rose had been a passenger in a car that was stopped by police because it matched the description of a car that was involved in an earlier shooting. Rose and another passenger "bolted" from the vehicle, and Rosfeld opened fire, striking Rose three times, Allegheny County police says.
June 27, 2018 - The Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, district attorney charges Rosfeld with criminal homicide in the shooting death of Rose.
March 22, 2019 - After hearing three-and-half days of testimony, the jury deliberates four hours and finds Rosfeld not guilty on all counts. If convicted, he could have been sentenced to life in prison.

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