Officer Charged in George Floyd Death Eligible for Pension Over $1 Million: Group

Buy From the Bush Delivers $5M Sales Boost, Connected Small Businesses Across Australia

A campaign to get Australians to buy from businesses in communities hit by drought has boosted sales by $5 million. The Buy from the Bush campaign connected Australians with select small businesses across the country that had felt the brunt of natural disasters. Businesses experienced a 300 percent jump in sales, one in five hired new workers, and more than one in three began shipping interstate. The AlphaBeta report commissioned by Buy from the Bush and social media giant Facebook also found one in five businesses started shipping overseas. Grace Brennan, who kicked off the campaign in October, said she wasn’t expecting to raise millions. “While I didn’t start the project with that in mind, it doesn’t surprise me now,” Brennan said. “I think consumers want to connect with a…

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, charged with second-degree murder in the death of George Floyd, could receive more than $1 million in pension benefits over several decades even after he is convicted, the Minnesota Public Employees Retirement Association said.

The group told news outlets on Friday that Chauvin, who joined the police force in 2001, would be eligible for pension benefits after he turns 50 years old. He was fired from his job as public outrage grew after a viral video showed him with his knee on Floyd’s neck for more than 8 minutes.

Three other officers involved in the incident were fired and faced felony charges.

“Neither our Board nor our staff have the discretion to increase, decrease, deny or revoke benefits,” a Minnesota Public Employees Retirement Association spokeswoman told CNN. “Any changes to current law would need to be done through the legislative process.”

Some states allow for pensions of public employees to be terminated if they are convicted of felony crimes related to their work. Minnesota does not have such a provision.

It’s not clear how much Chauvin could stand to earn from his pension, although the news outlet estimated that it could be around $1.5 million over several decades.

Experts told CNN that pension forfeiture for police officers is rare, even in cases of severe misconduct.

In Minneapolis, however, a number of unprecedented actions were taken against law enforcement following Floyd’s death. Local entities, including the school district, cut ties with the city’s police department, while city council members said they have a veto-proof plan to abolish the department entirely.

The move to dismantle or defund police departments drew a rebuke from President Donald Trump.

“There won’t be defunding, there won’t be dismantling of our police,” Trump said this week, saying that police are doing a “fantastic” job.

Focus News: Officer Charged in George Floyd Death Eligible for Pension Over $1 Million: Group

China Needs to Do More on Market Access, Merkel Tells Li

BERLIN—German Chancellor Angela Merkel stressed in a video conference with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang that Beijing needs to take action to open up its market and treat foreign companies fairly, her spokesman said on June 11. German firms want better market access in China and more legal certainty for investment. They also complain that the government in Beijing distorts competition with high subsidies. “She highlighted the need for further steps on market access, reciprocity, and equal treatment of foreign companies,” government spokesman Steffen Seibert said of Merkel’s discussion with Li. “Concluding an ambitious investment agreement between the EU and China is an important element in this process,” Seibert added. German Chancellor Angela Merkel (L) and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang arrive for a presentation of self-driving cars at the defunct historic…