08 August 2021
Tokyo--More than a year after they were set to begin — and 17 days after their delayed start — the Tokyo Olympics drew to an end on Sunday, with the closing ceremony under way here at Olympic Stadium.
Why it matters: Although Covid-19 delayed the Games and left an indelible mark, Organizers hope the Games have left a legacy beyond the disease.
Sunday's ceremony began with the raising of the Japanese flag and a flag parade featuring a single flag bearer from each country, followed by the entrance of some additional athletes.
The big picture: The U.S. captured the most gold medals at the Tokyo Games, thanks to final-day victories in women's volleyball and basketball.
The ceremony has just begun. Check back for updates.
Transcripts show George Floyd told police "I can't breathe" over 20 times
Section2Newly released transcripts of bodycam footage from the Minneapolis Police Department show that George Floyd told officers he could not breathe more than 20 times in the moments leading up to his death.
Why it matters: Floyd's killing sparked a national wave of Black Lives Matter protests and an ongoing reckoning over systemic racism in the United States. The transcripts "offer one the most thorough and dramatic accounts" before Floyd's death, The New York Times writes.
The state of play: The transcripts were released as former officer Thomas Lane seeks to have the charges that he aided in Floyd's death thrown out in court, per the Times. He is one of four officers who have been charged.
- The filings also include a 60-page transcript of an interview with Lane. He said he "felt maybe that something was going on" when asked if he believed that Floyd was having a medical emergency at the time.
What the transcripts say:
- Floyd told the officers he was claustrophobic as they tried to get him into the squad car.
- The transcripts also show Floyd saying, "Momma, I love you. Tell my kids I love them. I'm dead."
- Former officer Derek Chauvin, who had his knee on Floyd's neck for over eight minutes, told Floyd, "Then stop talking, stop yelling, it takes a heck of a lot of oxygen to talk."
Read the transcripts via DocumentCloud.