Indigenous Peoples' Day: These are the states that have ditched Columbus Day

By Scottie Andrew and AJ Willingham, CNN 

Columbus Day has been a political lightning rod for states, cities and municipalities around the US for years now. Some have decided to do something about it.  

© AFP Contributor/AFP/AFP/Getty Images A statue of Christopher Columbus at a downtown Los Angeles park is surrounded by a chain-link fence on October 9, 2017 in Los Angeles, California.

Virginia is the latest state to officially observe "Indigenous Peoples' Day" instead, a holiday to recognize the native populations that were displaced and decimated after Christopher Columbus and other European explorers reached the continent.

Technically, Columbus Day is a federal holiday, which means it is recognized by the US government and thus brings the closure of non-essential government offices, and, usually, places like post offices and banks.

But states and local governments can choose not to observe a federal holiday. And, as is the case with a growing number of places, change the name and intent of the October holiday altogether.

Not listed here are more than 130 cities that have ditched Columbus Day for Indigenous Peoples Day -- and the list grows yearly.

States that officially celebrate Indigenous Peoples' Day

Alaska: Observes Indigenous Peoples' Day as of 2017

Gov. Bill Walker signed observances of the holiday in 2015 and 2016 before making the switch official in 2017.

Hawaii: Observes Discoverers' Day in place of Columbus Day

Maine: Observes Indigenous Peoples' Day as of 2019

New Mexico: Observes Indigenous Peoples' Day as of 2019

Oregon: Observes Indigenous Peoples Day as of 2017

South Dakota: Observes Native American Day as of 1990

Vermont: Observes Indigenous Peoples' Day as of 2019


States and DC that observe Indigenous Peoples Day via proclamations

Iowa: Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds made a proclamation in 2018 designating Columbus Day as Indigenous Peoples' Day.

Louisiana: The Pelican State doesn't recognize Columbus Day. Gov. John Bel Edwards declared October 14, 2019, the state's first Indigenous Peoples' Day but hasn't issued a 2020 proclamation yet.

Michigan: On October 14, 2019, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared the day to be Indigenous Peoples' Day "to uplift our country's indigenous roots, history, and contributions."

Minnesota: In 2019, Gov. Tim Walz signed a proclamation declaring the second Monday in October Indigenous Peoples' Day. The state is home to 11 Tribal Nations.

North Carolina: Gov. Roy Cooper has made yearly proclamations designating the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples' Day.

Virginia: In 2020, Gov. Ralph Northam declared Monday the first Indigenous Peoples' Day in Virginia, calling it an "important step in creating an inclusive, honest Commonwealth." The state is home to 11 native tribes.

Wisconsin: Gov. Tony Evers established Indigenous Peoples' Day via an executive order days before the observance in 2019.

Washington, DC: The DC Council voted to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples' Day a few days before the 2019 observance.


States that celebrate both holidays

Alabama: The state celebrates both Columbus Day and American Indian Heritage Day.

Oklahoma: In 2019, the state voted to move Native American Day to the same day as Columbus Day so the two could be celebrated concurrently.

Protesters in Portland topple statues of Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt

Rachel Elbaum and Kurt Chirbas and Caroline Radnofsky 


Protesters in Portland, Oregon, pulled down statues of former Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt and broke windows late Sunday amid a demonstration on what organizers called an “Indigenous Day of Rage,” NBC local affiliate KGW reported.  

© Provided by NBC News Image: A group of protesters toppled statues of former presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln in Portland's South Park Block (Sean Meagher / AP)

Monday is the federal holiday Columbus Day, which some cities and states have renamed Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

Earlier in the evening, police tweeted that a mass gathering had formed and that some protesters were trying to “pull down a statue with a chain.”

An hour later, police declared the protest a riot, ordered protesters to disperse and said that those who chose to stay would be subject to “arrest, citation, or crowd control agents, including, but not limited to tear gas and impact weapons.”

Photos taken after the protest showed the Lincoln statue resting on its head with spray paint on the base, while the Roosevelt statue rested on its side with orange spray paint on the base. In addition to the toppling of the statues, the glass front and doors of the Oregon Historical Society were smashed.

Video: Protesters topple statues of Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt in Portland (NBC News)


In the announcement of the protest on Saturday, organizers Generational Resistance called on social media for an “end to colonialism” and the abolishment of the police in a post where they also asked for no photos or video to be taken.

They also warned indigenous people who wanted to bring “drums, medicine or regalia” that it “might not be the best event to bring things that are sacred to you.”

It was not immediately clear whether the statues were defaced by protesters involved in the Generational Resistance march.

Portland has become a flashpoint for sometimes violent political conflict. The city saw months of nightly protests after George Floyd was killed by police in Minneapolis, with some protesters lighting fires and antagonizing the police. In July, there were weeks of intense protests in the city after U.S. agents from the Department of Homeland Security were sent to guard a federal courthouse.

President Donald Trump, who has frequently criticized the protests in Portland, on Monday published a series of tweets about Sunday night's demonstration, retweeting what appeared to be images of the damage and offering to send federal law enforcement.

In August, he praised a pro-Trump caravan of activists whose presence appeared to contribute to violent clashes in the city.

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The Dakota 38 execution was the largest mass execution in the United States and took place on December 26, 1862. On the day after Christmas in 1862, 38 Dakota men were hanged under order of President Abraham Lincoln. The hangings and convictions of the Dakota 38 resulted from the aftermath of the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862 in southwest Minnesota.

The Traumatic True History and Name List of the Dakota 38

After demonstrations, Nigerian president pledges to punish police brutality

By Felix Onuah 

© Reuters/NIGERIA PRESIDENCY FILE PHOTO: Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari addresses the nation in Abuja

ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari promised on Monday that the government would bring police officers responsible for misconduct to justice, after nearly a week of protests against police brutality that were met by a harsh response.

At least one person has been killed since the demonstrations began. Police have opened fire with guns at marchers, as well as using water canons and tear gas to disperse them. More than a thousand demonstrators returned to streets around Nigeria on Monday.

On Sunday, authorities announced they were disbanding the Special Anti-Robbery Squad police unit, known as SARS, the target of demonstrators who accuse it of beating up and killing Nigerians and extorting from them.

Rights groups and protesters said they were unconvinced by the promise to disband the SARS force, saying the authorities had pledged to dissolve or reform the unit in the past with little change.

In a statement on Monday, Buhari promised "extensive police reforms", acknowledging "genuine concerns and agitations by Nigerians about the excessive use of force and in some cases extra-judicial killings and wrongful conduct of the men of the Nigerian Police Force."

But he also described police misconduct as relegated to a "few bad eggs".

(Reporting by Felix Onuah; Writing by Paul Carsten; Editing by Peter Graff)

Thai government says 'can handle' student-led protest

By Panarat Thepgumpanat 

© Reuters/SOE ZEYA TUN FILE PHOTO: Pro-democracy protesters attend a mass rally in Bangkok

THEY ARE USING THE THREE FINGERS SIGN FROM THE HUNGER GAMES

BANGKOK (Reuters) - The Thai government said on Monday it was not concerned about a student-led demonstration on Wednesday as protest leaders sought to escalate their push to demand a new constitution and oust Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha.

During three months of protests, anti-government activists have also broken a taboo by calling for reforms of the powerful monarchy of King Maha Vajiralongkorn, who is "enthroned in a position of revered worship" according to the constitution.

Protesters, who drew tens of thousands of people to a demonstration last month, said they planned to gather on Wednesday at Bangkok's Democracy Monument before moving to Government House and would camp there overnight.

Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan told reporters that he did not expect huge turnout.

"We're prepared and not worried," he said. "I think we can handle it."

The protest leaders, organising under the new banner of the People's Movement, said their focus would be a call for constitutional changes before a parliament sitting on Nov. 1.

"We also want to oust Prayuth," said Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul, one of the leaders, adding that she expected even more people than at last month's protest in Bangkok.

Protesters say the constitution was engineered to ensure that Prayuth, who first seized power in a 2014 coup, continued in office after an election last year. He says the election was fair.

Some protesters also want a reduction in the king's powers to reflect Thailand's status as a constitutional monarchy.

Raising the prospect of an encounter between the king and the protesters, his motorcade is due to pass Democracy Monument on Wednesday as he presides over a ceremony at a royal temple during a rare visit to Thailand.

Police said they would urge protesters to choose another location or at least clear the way for the motorcade.

Arnon Nampa, another of the protest leaders, said last week that demonstrators would not obstruct the motorcade but would show a three-finger salute - a symbol of resistance - if it passed by.

(Writing by Patpicha Tanakasempipat; Editing by Matthew Tostevin)

A collapse of global tax talks could cost $100 billion, OECD says

© Reuters/Charles Platiau FILE PHOTO: Outside view of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, (OECD) headquarters in Paris

PARIS (Reuters) - The global economy could shed more than 1% of output if international talks to rewrite cross-border tax rules break down and trigger a trade war, the OECD said on Monday, after countries agreed to keep up negotiating to mid-2021.

Nearly 140 countries agreed on Friday to extend talks, after the pandemic outbreak and U.S. hesitation before the presidential election squashed hopes of reaching a deal this year.

Public pressure is growing on big, profitable multinationals to pay their share under international tax rules after the COVID-19 pandemic strained national budgets, the countries said in an agreed statement.The aim is to update international tax rules for the age of digital commerce, in particular to discourage big Internet companies like Google , Facebook and Amazon from booking profits in low-tax countries like Ireland, regardless where their customers are.

In the absence of a new international rulebook, a growing number of governments are planning their own digital services taxes, which has prompted threats of trade retaliation from the Trump administration.

"The alternative to finding an agreement would be a trade war ... The last thing you want at this time with COVID-19 is to have to deal with further trade tensions," OECD Secretary General Angel Gurria told journalists.

In such a worst-case scenario, trade disputes could knock global GDP back by more than 1%, the OECD, which has been steering the global tax talks, estimated in an impact assessment.

Conversely, new rules for digital taxation and a proposed global minimum tax would increase global corporate income tax worldwide by 1.9% to 3.2%, or about $50 billion to $80 billion per year.

That could reach $100 billion when including an existing U.S. minimum tax on overseas profits, amounting to 4% of global corporate income tax, the OECD said. Meanwhile, any drag on global growth would be no more than 0.1% in the long term.

At the same time, new digital taxation rules would shift the right to tax $100 billion in corporate profits to big consumer- market countries, largely at the expense of low-tax investment hubs where such profits currently get booked.

While countries agreed on OECD blueprints for a future deal, the key remaining issue to be solved was the scope of businesses to be covered, which would then make it easier to agree the technical parameters, OECD head of tax Pascal Saint-Amans said.

The Trump administration had insisted on an opt-in option for U.S. companies, which has been broadly rejected by other countries in the talks.

Nonetheless, regardless of the results of the U.S. presidential election next month, there was bipartisan support in Washington to move forward, Gurria said.

(Reporting by Leigh Thomas, editing by Larry King)

Fed's Kashkari says the recovery has 'flattened' out and warns thousands of small businesses will collapse without further support from Washington

insider@insider.com (Saloni Sardana) 

© Reuters President of the Federal Reserve Bank on Minneapolis Neel Kashkari speaks during an interview in New York Reuters

Minneapolis Federal Reserve President Neel Kashkari told CBS "Face the Nation" on Sunday the recovery from the pandemic is stalling and called for more for fiscal aid.

 

He said: "If 11 million Americans can't pay their bills, can't put food on the table, can't make their credit card payments, their car payments, that has spillover effects to other sectors of the economy." 

 

Democrats rejected an increased offer of $1.8 trillion in fiscal aid by the White House over the weekend.

Minneapolis Federal Reserve President Neel Kashkari told CBS's "Face the Nation" on Sunday the strong recovery seen in the US economy in recent months has "flattened" out and called on lawmakers in Washington to reach an agreement on another round fiscal aid.

"The recovery, the strong recovery that we saw in June and July, has really flattened out. The virus is climbing now again around the country, especially here in my region, in Minnesota, the Dakotas, Wisconsin," Kashkari said. "And so you're seeing consumers pull back and not want to go out, and not want to take that risk again. And so, unfortunately, we still have a long way to go in this pandemic, and that means we need continued assistance."

He said job losses and bankruptcies in the travel and tourism industries, front-line service industries and restaurants will continue to spiral and "bleed on" if lawmakers don't reach a compromise. Democrats and Republicans have been caught in a stalemate since July over the size and scope of a new set of economic stimulus measures.



Video: Fed chair warns about need for another COVID stimulus (KSDK-TV St. Louis)

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/money/markets/fed-s-kashkari-says-the-recovery-has-flattened-out-and-warns-thousands-of-small-businesses-will-collapse-without-further-support-from-washington/ar-BB19Wnre?ocid=msedgntp

Southwest pilots' union bristles at 10% pay cut proposal
 

Southwest Airlines pilots' union took issue at a company proposal to cut pay rates by 10%.

Southwest has said it won't furlough or cut pay rates this year but is seeking concessions for next year.

The carrier has never furloughed an employee in its nearly 50 years of flying

.

© Provided by CNBC A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700 (LN2318) on final-approach after a pre-delivery test flight at dusk.

Southwest Airlines pilots' union is pushing back on a company proposal to cut pay by 10% to avoid furloughs through the end of next year, the latest wrinkle in the Dallas-based carrier's efforts to cut costs in the pandemic.

Southwest is trying to preserve its record of never having furloughed workers in its nearly 50 years of flying, but its CEO Gary Kelly warned earlier this month that it would seek concessions from the labor unions that make up the bulk of its workforce.

"Our goal is to protect every pilot job so we can be prepared to take advantage of revenue opportunities when customer demand returns," Southwest said in an emailed statement. "Until then, we must also begin to restore our balance sheet by more closely aligning our loss in revenue with lower costs."

All U.S. airlines are struggling with a plunge in revenue from the sharp drop in travel demand because of the virus. In the first 10 days of the month, the Transportation Security Administration screened an average of 804,302 people a day, down nearly 66% from the same period a year ago.

On Friday, Southwest proposed the 10% pay rate cut to its roughly 9,000 pilots. The union, the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association took issue with the across-the-board reduction and force majeure clauses, which it feared the airline could lean on to furlough pilots anyway.

"This addition would not protect us from furloughs or ensure us that our hourly trip rates would snap back after the term of any agreement," the union said in a memo to members.

The union pointed to other options like voluntary time off at reduced pay and early retirement packages.

"We have a revenue and short-term cash problem that cannot be fixed by concessions alone," the union said in a memo on Friday. Its president Jon Weaks, told CNBC the company's proposal is "dead on arrival" but that the union is open to further talks on cost-cutting measures.

The dispute comes as competitors American Airlines and United Airlines earlier this month began cutting more than 30,000 jobs after the terms of billions in federal aid expired. Southwest doesn't plan to furlough workers this year but earlier this month said it would seek concessions from unions for a committment to keep jobs through 2021.

United Airlines pilots agreed to reduce minimum hours in order to prevent close to 3,000 furloughs planned this year.

VIDEO https://www.msn.com/en-ca/money/news/southwest-pilots-union-bristles-at-10-pay-cut-proposal/ar-BB19WngE?ocid=msedgntp

Big businesses are protecting exec pay by rewriting bonus plans and changing performance targets during COVID-19, a report has found

insider@insider.com (Grace Dean) 

© Provided by Business Insider Olive Garden parent company Darden Restaurants was among the firms named in the Semler Brossy Consulting Group report. Richard Levine/Corbis via Getty Images

Big businesses are protecting executives' pay by rewriting bonus plans and changing performance targets, a report has found.

 

Companies have added non-financial targets and written off worst-performing months, Semler Brossy Consulting Group said.

 

For example, Olive Garden parent company Darden Restaurants modified its bonus plans so that lower sales at the peak of lockdown won't count against execs, the group said.

 

Many companies have cut employee pay and laid off staff, and adjustments that appear to protect executive pay "are likely to get outsized attention," Semler Brossy warned.

Big businesses are protecting their executives' pay during the pandemic by rewriting bonus plans and changing performance targets, a report has found.

Some companies have simply written off the worst-performing months, while others have added non-financial metrics to bonus-linked targets, according to Semler Brossy Consulting Group's investigation of 29 large US firms, reported by the Financial Times.

Ten companies modified the period that performance is measured over, typically to cover just a partial year. This means that executives' annual performance won't be dragged down by poor performance during the peaks of the pandemic.

Many companies have cut staff numbers or employee pay, and adjustments that appear to protect executive pay "are likely to get outsized attention," the group warned.

Olive Garden parent company Darden Restaurants modified its bonus plans so that lower sales at the peak of lockdown won't count against exec bonuses, Semler Brossy said, per an SEC filing.

Its 2021 bonus plan will use non-financial metrics during the first half of the fiscal year alongside financial results from the second half, and the board will use its discretion to award bonuses, the FT reported.

Gene Lee, Darden's CEO, was among a number of executives who pledged to take pay cuts in the early days of the pandemic, an apparent act of solidarity with struggling workers.

Lee said he would forgo his $1 million base salary in early April. As of early June, SEC filings showed his salary had already been reinstated.

Casino operator Wynn Resorts, which runs the world's largest five-star resort, modified bonus goals for some executives for the second half of 2020 to encourage saving cash, rather than generating earnings, with "significantly reduced target incentive levels" for the year, the Semler Brossy report found, per an SEC filing.

Both Darden and Wynn Resorts did not immediately respond to a Business Insider request for comment. Representatives from Wynn Resorts and Darden declined to comment to the FT.

The report found that, among the 29 large companies, new performance metrics included cash flow, strategic and operational health measures, and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization.

Semler Brossy argued that, while incentives are important to keep executives motivated, any rewards "must be proportionate and aligned with the broader impact of COVID-19 on shareholders, on employees, and on society at large."

Boards should acknowledge other stakeholders when planning their executive bonus programs, Semler Brossy said.

"The media are actively looking for stories of corporate greed in a pandemic, and even innocuous seeming changes, such as shifting some performance-based awards to time-based vesting, have resulted in negative stories," the company added.

Denver shooting suspect not a licensed security guard, city says
Jordan Freiman 

The suspect in Saturday's fatal shooting in Denver, Colorado, is not a licensed security guard, CBS Denver reports. Security guards are required to have a license in order to operate in the city of Denver.

© CBS Denver art-museum-shooting-3.jpg

SECURITY GUARD IS WHITE WHICH IS WHY HE IS ALIVE

Matthew Dolloff, 30, was taken into custody Saturday after allegedly shooting and killing a man in the midst of dueling rallies between left- and right-wing protesters. Local NBC News affiliate KUSA-TV said the person taken into custody for the shooting was a private security guard hired by the station.

"There is no record for an active licensed security guard now or ever for an individual named Matthew Doloff or Dolloff. If he was operating as a security guard, he was in violation of the law," The Denver Department of Excise and Licenses told CBS Denver's Andrea Flores.

"A security guard operating without a license could be fined up to $999 dollars and face up to a year in jail," the department told CBS News. "The company he works for is also legally responsible for making sure all their security guard employees have a license and could face administrative action against their required security guard employer license if they have security guards working without a license."

"Security guards are prohibited from carrying or using a firearm without getting an armed firearm endorsement for their license," the department added. "All security guards in Denver are required to get a federal background check before they receive their license."

Security guards operating in Denver are also supposed to be in uniform, which Dolloff does not appear to be wearing in videos of the shooting posted to social media. The videos appear to show the victim spraying mace at Dolloff right before the shooting.

KUSA-TV said it hired Dolloff through the Pinkerton security firm, according to The Associated Press. AP also reports Dolloff's name does not appear in the city's database of licensed security guards. Pinkerton did not respond the AP's request for comment.

Dolloff is currently being held on first degree murder charges without bail, CBS Denver reports. Police have not identified the man who was killed.

Mallinckrodt files for bankruptcy protection amid U.S. opioid litigation

(Reuters) - Mallinckrodt Plc filed for bankruptcy protection on Monday, saddled with lawsuits alleging it fueled the U.S. opioid epidemic and after it lost a court battle to avoid paying higher rebates to state Medicaid programs for its top-selling drug.

© Reuters/George Frey FILE PHOTO: Bottles of prescription painkillers Oxycodone Hydrochloride, 30mg pills, made by Mallinckrodt

The company listed both assets and liabilities in the range of $1 billion to $10 billion in a filing with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District Of Delaware.

More than 3,000 lawsuits have been filed accusing drug manufacturers of engaging in deceptive marketing that promoted the use of addictive painkillers, fueling an epidemic that since 1999 has resulted in more than 450,000 overdose deaths.

The company had in February said it planned to have its generic drug business file for bankruptcy as part of a tentative $1.6 billion opioid settlement to resolve claims by state attorneys general and U.S. cities and counties.

It further warned on Aug. 4 the parent company and other units may also seek bankruptcy protection after a judge allowed the federal government to force it to pay higher rebates to state Medicaid programs for its multiple-sclerosis drug H.P. Acthar Gel.

Its per-vial price has risen from about $50 in 2001 to $38,892 in 2019 and it generated 30.1% of the company's net sales last year.

The drugmaker said it will implement a restructuring support agreement that would provide for an amended proposed opioid claims settlement and a financial restructuring.

"The company has agreed to pay $260 million over seven years and reset Acthar Gel's Medicaid rebate calculation as of July 1, 2020, such that state Medicaid programs will receive 100% rebates on Acthar Gel Medicaid sales, based on current Acthar Gel pricing," Mallinckrodt said in a statement.

During the bankruptcy protection, the company said it aims to resolve opioid-related claims and to reduce its debt by about $1.3 billion, while surviving on cash on hand and cash generated from operations.

(Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston and Rama Venkat in Bengaluru; Editing by Aditya Soni and Arun Koyyur)