Monday Briefing | April 5 - Journal of Political Inquiry

Photo: One police officer was killed on Friday after a driver rammed into the Capitol building’s barricade. Credit: AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

Stories to follow:

On Friday, a driver hit two Capitol police officers at the Capitol building barricade in Washington, D.C., killing Officer William Evans and injuring the other officer. The suspect, Noah Green, was shot dead at the scene. The incident follows the already proceeding security review of the Capitol following the Jan. 6 riot and will likely complicate the debate of public security and access to the Capitol building.

In related news, an investigation into Trump’s presidential campaign donations reveals that supporters who thought they were only donating once to his campaign were repeatedly charged by the operation. The New York Times found that the charges were a part of a larger scheme to boost revenue for Trump’s struggling presidential campaign. The amount raised by the Trump campaign and the Republican Party on WinRed was $1.2 billion. The company has refunded 10 percent of that total.

Derek Chauvin’s trial is planned to continue today with witnesses continuing to take to the stands. The first week of the trial proceeded with 10 witnesses tearfully painting a picture of the violent event that took place on May 25, 2020, which resulted in George Floyd’s violent death. The NYT has put together a list highlighting the key takeaways of the trail so far.

In global news, Jordan’s former crown prince, Hamzah bin Hussein (the half-brother of King Abdullah II, the country’s ruler) has been placed in isolation and his communication cut. In a video obtained by the BBC, Prince Hamzah said that the Jordanian military told him to stay home, suggesting he’s been put under house arrest. The details around his confinement haven’t been released, but the government of Jordan has accused the former crown prince and several of his associates of coordinating with foreign entities to “pursue a long-term plot to destabilize the kingdom.” In the video, Prince Hamzah claimed he wasn’t a part of any conspiracy and that the problems with the government should be directed at the officials in charge.

CNN reported that at least 550 people have been killed in Myanmar since Feb. 1 following the aftermath of the coup, which overthrew the elected government. Since the coup, security officials have responded with brutal crackdowns and arrests.

Happening this week:

Following Biden’s climate action proposal, the Harvard Student Climate Conference is hosting a conference on April 8. Climate is becoming an increasingly important policy issue and after Biden’s first 100 days in office, the symposium hopes to address questions about how to integrate substantive change into policy action. The conference will be a dialogue between students, policy-makers, practitioners, academics, innovators and activists.

In your free time:

Now is the perfect time to make your way to the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens to walk along the cherry blossom trees as they bloom. Although the indoor exhibits will remain closed until further notice, the blossoming trees make for a lovely walk through the gardens. Be sure to wear a mask when you go!

This week’s Monday Briefing was brought to you by Taylor Jennings.