May 22, 2021

Biden to Host George Floyd’s Family on the Anniversary of the Murder

But lawmakers continue to bicker over the police-reform bill named in Floyd’s honor.

A mural honoring George Floyd in Houston’s Third WardDavid J. Phillip/AP

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May 25 is the anniversary of George Floyd’s murder at the hands of police officer Derek Chauvin, and his family is marking the occasion with an official visit to the White House to meet with President Joe Biden.

Biden’s team had initially hoped to mark the anniversary by signing into law a major police reform package named in Floyd’s honor, but that’s a longer quest as lawmakers and advocates fight over what the bill will include. The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act has reportedly been held up by disagreements about qualified immunity, which can shield police officers and their departments from civil liability in misconduct cases, according to the Washington Post.

The White House announced the Floyd’s family planned visit early Saturday. The administration reportedly has been in contact with the family, including George’s brother Philonise Floyd, ever since a jury found Chauvin guilty.

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WHO DOESN’T LOVE A POSITIVE STORY—OR TWO?

“Great journalism really does make a difference in this world: it can even save kids.”

That’s what a civil rights lawyer wrote to Julia Lurie, the day after her major investigation into a psychiatric hospital chain that uses foster children as “cash cows” published, letting her know he was using her findings that same day in a hearing to keep a child out of one of the facilities we investigated.

That’s awesome. As is the fact that Julia, who spent a full year reporting this challenging story, promptly heard from a Senate committee that will use her work in their own investigation of Universal Health Services. There’s no doubt her revelations will continue to have a big impact in the months and years to come.

Like another story about Mother Jones’ real-world impact.

This one, a multiyear investigation, published in 2021, exposed conditions in sugar work camps in the Dominican Republic owned by Central Romana—the conglomerate behind brands like C&H and Domino, whose product ends up in our Hershey bars and other sweets. A year ago, the Biden administration banned sugar imports from Central Romana. And just recently, we learned of a previously undisclosed investigation from the Department of Homeland Security, looking into working conditions at Central Romana. How big of a deal is this?

“This could be the first time a corporation would be held criminally liable for forced labor in their own supply chains,” according to a retired special agent we talked to.

Wow.

And it is only because Mother Jones is funded primarily by donations from readers that we can mount ambitious, yearlong—or more—investigations like these two stories that are making waves.

About that: It’s unfathomably hard in the news business right now, and we came up about $28,000 short during our recent fall fundraising campaign. We simply have to make that up soon to avoid falling further behind than can be made up for, or needing to somehow trim $1 million from our budget, like happened last year.

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