Micaela Watts's Avatar

Micaela Watts

@micaelawatts.bsky.social

Investigative reporter with the Institute for Public Service Reporting via University of Memphis. Covering environment and criminal justice. Inbox open for tips.

241 Followers  |  97 Following  |  9 Posts  |  Joined: 21.11.2024  |  1.7153

Latest posts by micaelawatts.bsky.social on Bluesky

Post image

One day after a Hamilton County, TN jury voted on a blanket acquittal for three of the five officers caught on a Memphis police skycop camera fatally beating 29-yr-old Tyre Nichols, the family of Nichols gathered, flanked by 200ish Memphians, gathers outside of the National Civil Rights Museum.

08.05.2025 21:38 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

It was an out of town jury from East Tennessee β€” Hamilton County.

07.05.2025 20:21 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
DOGE work could 'cross extreme ethical and legal lines,' says former employee : Consider This from NPR On Tuesday, 21 DOGE employees resigned. NPR spoke to one of them who says she felt the new administration was causing "harm to the American people." As Elon Musk and the Department of Government Effic...

On Tuesday, 21 DOGE employees resigned. NPR spoke to one of them who says she felt the new administration was causing "harm to the American people."

27.02.2025 23:00 β€” πŸ‘ 3064    πŸ” 702    πŸ’¬ 96    πŸ“Œ 59
Preview
Who will work with Judge Donald to monitor MPD? City names task force People with connections to the Memphis Police Department, clergy members, law professors, a mental health expert and a local organizer have been selected

Who will join retired judge Bernice Donald in overseeing the @MEM_PoliceDept ? The task force includes attorneys, a former police director, pastors and more.
mlk50.co/4314ugZ

18.02.2025 19:15 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

HHS Secretary Dr. Leo Spacemen

13.02.2025 17:02 β€” πŸ‘ 5163    πŸ” 608    πŸ’¬ 126    πŸ“Œ 67

And I would summarize those but I just looked at the time and I g2g. Read the story, it's relatively short. And it's free.

Also I'm sorry in perpetuity for the typos on this account. Welcome to the hell that is being my editor. ok byyyye

28.01.2025 17:08 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

So, here we are a few weeks later, and Young has said that while the city will not be entering a consent decree (regardless of who is in the White House), plans are solidifying for how Mem can police its police, so to speak.

And that's what's in the story I posted (Skied? Blued?) just now.

28.01.2025 17:07 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Dec. 20, the city announced retired federal Judge Bernice Donald would come on board to oversee the reform process. The term "task force" was used.
And then the MSCS school board started the process of terminating Supt. Dr. Marie Feagins. And then, well, that dominated the local news cycle.

28.01.2025 17:05 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

At the time, Mayor Paul Young said the city would not enter into a federal consent decree, citing staggering costs other cities have had to shell out for monitoring of their police dept., oversight, implementation of reforms, etc.

Young said Mem would come up with it's own plan, and they are.

28.01.2025 17:00 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

In early Dec. the DOJ, in the last days of the Biden admin, published the findings of the pattern-or-practice investigation. This was the investigation sparked by the killing of Tyre Nichols in Jan. '23. The investigation took about 16 months, which is shorter than usual for a p-or-p.

28.01.2025 16:58 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Mayor Young Meets With Justice Dept. to Discuss Police Reform Young seeks guidance for creating a local task force to review MPD practices

I know there's, um, a lot going on right now. But if you're curious about next steps for the Memphis Police Department, on the other side of a damning DOJ report that found a pattern of constitutional rights violations...

www.psrmemphis.org/mayor-young-...

28.01.2025 16:56 β€” πŸ‘ 10    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
White House pauses all federal grants, sparking confusion The Trump administration has put a hold on all federal financial grants and loans, affecting tens of billions of dollars in payments.

Breaking news: The White House budget office is ordering a pause to all grants and loans disbursed by the federal government, according to an internal memo sent to agencies Monday, creating significant confusion across Washington.

28.01.2025 02:07 β€” πŸ‘ 457    πŸ” 244    πŸ’¬ 100    πŸ“Œ 142

Wait. Who is lecturing folks about staying on Twitter/X?

02.12.2024 19:42 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

@micaelawatts is following 19 prominent accounts