George Floyd conviction: Derek Chauvin, former Minneapolis police officer was convicted of murder and manslaughter on Tuesday. This is the result of the death of Minneapolis citizen, George Floyd in May of last year. Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree unintentional murder and third-degree murder. There is no bail to be posted and his sentencing will take place in two months. The most substantial charge that Chauvin can be given is up to 40 years in prison.
Significance: Many people waited to see the response in regard to the death of George Floyd. Floyd’s family has been fighting for jurisdiction since the incident. In addition to this, people across the country campaigned to spread awareness of the situation at hand.
Vaccination requirements: University of California and California State University are now requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for students and faculty this fall. These universities are making the vaccination mandatory after months of online learning. Stanford also announced A vaccination requirement. However, students at the school have the choice of exemption because of religious or medical reasons.
Significance: This is one of the first cases of required vaccinations. There are other mandates for the vaccine when it comes to travel, but these California universities are among the first few schools to enforce that students and staff need to be vaccinated in order to attend on campus.
