| The national conversation about George Floyd’s death shifted on Wednesday from protests and prosecution to prevention. There is no shortage of assured commentary about why so many black men are killed by police each year in America. But preventing future deaths through effective policies and reforms is more complicated, judging from approaches advocated in the last 48 hours by President Trump and the administration, his predecessors from both parties, law enforcement experts and current police officials, African American clergy, former Vice President Joe Biden, and House and Senate leaders who envision hearings, oversight and perhaps new appropriations. The Washington Examiner: Senate Judiciary Committee to hold June 16 hearing on Floyd’s death and police brutality. The New York Times: In Minneapolis, police use of force against black people at seven times the rate of whites, according to the city’s own data. This afternoon, a private memorial service for Floyd will take place at North Central University in Minneapolis. The Rev. Al Sharpton, who this week urged New York to pass specific legislation at the state level that he said would increase police accountability there, will deliver the eulogy at what will be the first of three memorial events culminating next week with Floyd’s funeral and burial in Houston, where the former bouncer lived for most of his life (Star Tribune). NBC News: Floyd tested positive for COVID-19 on April 3, medical examiner reports. Former President Obama, during his first on-camera remarks about the national unrest following Floyd’s death, commended the millions of American and international protesters who have called for change, racial justice and equity in law enforcement. He made no reference to Trump. The 44th president — who mentioned the White House Task Force on 21st Century Policing he created to deliver recommendations in 2015 — urged every U.S. mayor to review use-of-force policies and to aggressively pursue an eight-point slate of police reforms that includes mandatory de-escalation of conflicts, a ban on shooting at moving vehicles, timely reporting of violent incidents and a ban on some forms of restraint used by the police. Speaking from his home in the nation’s capital during a virtual town hall event, Obama said officials in New York City and Chicago had already agreed to adopt the measures (The New York Times). “Chokeholds and strangleholds, that’s not what we do,” Obama said. The Hill: Obama calls for police reforms, doesn't address Trump. The Washington Post: Attorney General William Barr has sought to subdue D.C. protests by “flooding the zone” with federal firepower. Included: Bureau of Prisons riot specialists who ring the White House dressed in black and displaying no bureau, branch or name (HuffPost and The Washington Post). Former President Jimmy Carter, in a statement on Wednesday, said, “We need a government as good as its people, and we are better than this. … People of power, privilege, and moral conscience must stand up and say `no more’ to a racially discriminatory police and justice system, immoral economic disparities between whites and blacks, and government actions that undermine our unified democracy.” The Washington Post: All four living ex-presidents draw a sharp contrast with Trump on systemic racism. Charges against former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who pinned Floyd’s neck to the ground with his knee for more than eight minutes until the handcuffed 46-year-old stopped breathing, were upgraded on Wednesday to second-degree murder. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison (D) also charged Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane — the other officers who were at the scene of Floyd's death — with aiding and abetting second-degree murder. Chauvin was initially arrested and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter on Friday by the Hennepin County attorney's office (Star Tribune). The Associated Press: Large protests overnight turn subdued after new charges in Floyd case. CNN: Relatively peaceful protests without looting in New York City overnight; at least 90 arrests. NBC15: Community leaders, police, protesters danced the “Cupid Shuffle” in Lincoln, Neb., on Wednesday. The Wall Street Journal: “Everything is Gone”: In minority neighborhoods, looting strikes a second blow to reeling businesses. Meanwhile, Trump’s first Defense secretary, James Mattis, issued a scathing statement on Wednesday, asserting that Trump “tries to divide us.” “Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people — does not even pretend to try. Instead he tries to divide us,” Mattis said. “We are witnessing the consequences of three years of this deliberate effort. We are witnessing the consequences of three years without mature leadership.” “Never did I dream that troops taking that same oath would be ordered under any circumstance to violate the Constitutional rights of their fellow citizens — much less to provide a bizarre photo op for the elected commander-in-chief, with military leadership standing alongside,” he continued. The retired Marine Corps general, who in 2018 was fired by Trump on Twitter, referenced the president’s Monday evening walk from the White House to St. John’s Episcopal Church a block away, where Trump was photographed holding a Bible after law enforcement and military police deployed chemicals to clear demonstrators from the area (The Hill). In a series of tweets Wednesday night, Trump slammed Mattis, calling him “the world’s most overrated general.” Defense Secretary Mark Esper publicly broke with Trump on Wednesday during remarks to reporters about the potential need to use the Insurrection Act to mobilize the U.S. military to quell demonstrations (The Hill). Esper has come under intense criticism for his participation in the Monday stroll with Trump to the church and for describing areas occupied by protesters as “battlespace.” Esper said he was unaware of Trump’s plans at the time and thought the large group of administration officials was walking through Lafayette Square to “review the troops” (The Hill). Later, after the president’s press secretary would not say whether Trump has confidence in Esper, the secretary reversed an earlier decision to return active-duty troops deployed near Washington, D.C., to their home bases (The Associated Press). The Associated Press: Handling of street protests creates crisis for Pentagon boss. CNN: Esper on shaky ground with the White House. 
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