In Cincinnati, a coroner has ruled that Nathaniel Jones died from injuries sustained when police beat him repeatedly on Sunday. A video of the beating showed that officers repeatedly beat the unarmed Jones, who is African-American, with metal nightsticks while it appeared he resisted arrest. An attorney representing Jones’ family said the man was trying to give up when he was beaten. Up until now police officials had suggested the cause of his death was not the beating but either a heart problem or an overdose from drugs. The coroner said that although the beating was the primary cause of death it should not be interpreted to imply that the police behaved inappropriately.

Islamic Group Sues GOP Congressman for Defamation
The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations is suing North Carolina Republican Congressman Cass Ballenger for defamation. In October Ballenger described the organization as “the fund-raising arm for Hezbollah” and claimed that the stress caused by living near CAIR’s Washington’s office after 9/11 lead to the end of his marriage.