THE STATE OF POLICE REFORM
By Lisa Desjardins, @LisaDNews
Correspondent
 
Lawmakers from across the political spectrum quickly expressed outrage, grief and deep disturbance at the death of Tyre Nichols following the Friday release of video depicting a group of Memphis police officers kicking and punching him.
 
The 29-year-old Black man died three days after the assault as the result of “extensive bleeding caused by a severe beating,” per the autopsy report.
 
Five Black officers involved in Nichols’ death have been fired and charged with second-degree murder, among other offenses. The bodycam and surveillance footage has also raised questions about additional officers and other emergency personnel who arrived on the scene and who either joined in the assault or did not intervene or seek medical assistance.
 
Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to travel to Memphis on Wednesday to attend Nichols’ funeral.
 
Many in Congress — including Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.V., and Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C. — are calling for action. But let’s look at where moves toward reform actually stand.
 
What’s happening in the Senate

• Senate Judiciary Chairman Dick Durbin, D-Ill., is working with his Republican counterpart, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., to try to revive a police reform bill.
• Senate talks that started after the 2020 murder of George Floyd unraveled in 2021.
• A key obstacle has been debate over “qualified immunity,” per Graham and Durbin. That concept means that police officers often are shielded from civil lawsuits for their conduct on the job. (They can face criminal charges.)
• Graham is now highlighting a potential compromise in which victims of police violence could sue law enforcement departments but not individual officers. 
• The office of Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., is also part of very early conversations, per sources familiar.
• But the person to watch most closely is South Carolina’s Scott. According to sources involved, the Republican senator is seen by members on both sides of the aisle as a person who can make or break any potential Senate deal.
• Some close to him told the NewsHour that Scott wants talks to revive in earnest and that he has never walked away from negotiations.
• Summary: It is early days, but many of the same issues that prevented police reform in 2021 remain unresolved.

 
What’s happening in the House

• New House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, told NBC Sunday that he did not believe any law could have prevented the “evil” of what happened to Nichols.
• That has widely been seen as a blow to any reform efforts, per conversations with lawmakers in both parties on Tuesday. Jordan is among the most powerful Republicans in the House, and his committee likely would handle any police reform legislation.
• However, Jordan is also leading a new subcommittee on “weaponization” of the federal government, which is set to look at how the government harms individual Americans. He told NBC that he does see Nichols’ killing as an example of that kind of weaponization. 
• At the same time, Democrats are pushing for meaningful talks. Rep. Steve Horsford, D-Nev., who chairs the Congressional Black Caucus, has called for a “jump-start” to talks.

 
What’s next?

• Multiple sources from both chambers and parties indicate that Biden’s State of the Union address, set for Feb. 7, is a critical and likely clarifying date.
• Horsford and the Congressional Black Caucus have invited Nichols' family to be in the chamber.
• There is general agreement that the window between now and then is the best one for any potential talks to begin.

By Laura Barrón-López, @lbarronlopez
White House Correspondent
 
Joshua Barajas, @Josh_Barrage
Senior Editor, Digital
 
It’s another infrastructure week for President Joe Biden.
 
The president kicked off a three-stop tour this week to tout major projects that will be paid for, in large part, by the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill passed in 2021. The bipartisan law, with key investments for roads, bridges and mass transit, was a momentous victory for Biden.
 
On Monday, Biden was in Baltimore to highlight the planned reconstruction of a 150-year-old rail tunnel that will be renamed after abolitionist Frederick Douglass. On Tuesday, he was in New York to highlight the planned improvements to a tunnel that was damaged by Hurricane Sandy. On Friday, he’ll be in Philadelphia to highlight the funding provided by the law to replace lead pipes.
 
As Biden heads into the latter half of his term, this East Coast tour is a victory lap for a president with an eye toward the 2024 election.
 
As we reported, Biden is also attending a number of Democratic National Committee fundraising events this week.
 
The NewsHour's Matt Loffman, Saher Khan and Tess Conciatori produced Monday’s segment on Baltimore.


#POLITICSTRIVIA

By Dan Cooney, @IAmDanCooney
Social Media Producer/Coordinator
 
Joe Biden’s State of the Union address on Feb. 7 will be the 99th time a U.S. president has delivered an in-person SOTU (or “Annual Message,” as it was known before 1947) since 1790. 
 
Our question: One of President Ronald Reagan’s State of the Union addresses was the first to be postponed, according to congressional records. What event led to the postponement?
 
Send your answers to [email protected] or tweet using #PoliticsTrivia. The first correct answers will earn a shout-out next week.
 
Last week, we asked: Jeff Zients, Biden’s next chief of staff, also co-founded a popular eatery in Washington, D.C. What food does the shop specialize in?
 
The answer: Bagels. That establishment — Call Your Mother — first opened in 2018. Zients disinvested when he joined the administration, but owners Daniela Moreira and Andrew Dana have expanded the business to seven (soon to be eight) spots in the D.C. area. They also plan to add additional locations all the way out in Denver. 
 
Congratulations to our winners: Sharon Lilly, Jim Brydon and Marilyn Requena!
 
Thank you all for reading and watching. We’ll drop into your inbox next week.