They risked their lives to serve and protect, but under previous Texas state law, they were treated as property.

Now, police dogs are getting the justice they deserve.

During Tuesday's election, Texas voters approved an amendment that allows retiring law enforcement dogs and horses to be adopted by their handler or another "qualified caretaker."

Previously, the retired animals were treated by the law the same way as an old police car or gun would be — auctioned, donated, or destroyed, reports The Washington Post.

Some departments found ways to work around the law, by selling animals to handlers for $1, but others were forced to put down their retired animals, Collin County, Texas, Sheriff Jim Skinner told the Post.

"We've asked for this exception, to not treat these animals like property, for all the obvious reasons," he said.

Skinner was an Air Force K-9 handler in the Philippines almost 40 years ago, and extended his tour just so he could stay with his dog, Jessie, reports the Post, an example of how strong the bond between handlers and their dogs can be.

The military now has laws that give handlers the option to adopt their animals, and Texas has finally caught up, allowing man and best friend to stay together. Read more at The Washington Post. Taylor Watson

The Senate Judiciary committee has come to a bipartisan conclusion after the death of George Floyd.

After "the horrific death of George Floyd while in police custody in Minneapolis," the Senate Judiciary committee will conduct a hearing on police use of force, committee chair Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) announced Friday. Both he and Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) "are appalled at what we saw," and will hold the hearing to "shine a bright light on the problems associated" with Floyd's death "with the goal of finding a better way forward for our nation."

Earlier Friday, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), the former lead prosecutor for Minneapolis' Hennepin County, told MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell she would use her spot on the Judiciary Committee to push for "systematic change to our criminal justice system in Minnesota and across the country."

Floyd died Monday after now-fired Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck as he protested "I can't breathe." Chauvin was arrested Friday on third degree manslaughter and murder charges. Kathryn Krawczyk

President Trump gave a Friday press conference that didn't even touch that day's biggest topic.

On Friday, Trump announced that he was withdrawing U.S. support from the World Health Organization, reshuffling America's $450 million annual contribution to the WHO to other health groups. Trump went on to criticize China for allegedly covering up the beginnings of the coronavirus pandemic, and claimed the WHO had allowed that cover-up to happen.

While Trump had previously praised China for its "transparency" during the COVID-19 crisis, on Friday he suggested a unfounded conspiracy in which the coronavirus "didn't go to Beijing." Trump then noted that China gives $40 million to the WHO compared to the U.S.'s $450 million, but claimed without proof that the organization is controlled by China. The move leaves the WHO without its largest financial backer, The Associated Press reports.

Trump left the conference without taking any questions from the press, which would've presumably been about the ongoing protests in Minneapolis over George Floyd's death in police custody. Trump had tweeted "when the looting starts, the shooting starts," a phrase that some critics linked to a racist Miami police chief who invoked it when cracking down on black neighborhoods in the 1960s. Kathryn Krawczyk

The family of George Floyd is demanding stronger charges for the former Minneapolis police officer arrested Friday in connection with Floyd's death. Derek Chauvin received third-degree murder and manslaughter charges, despite evidently ignoring police training that would have taught that restraining a person in such a way as he did Floyd is "inherently dangerous," according to the criminal complaint.

"We want a first-degree murder charge," the family's statement said. "And we want to see the other [three] officers arrested. We call on authorities to revise the charges to reflect the true culpability of this officer."

The disturbing complaint describes how Chauvin placed "his left knee in the area of Mr. Floyd's head and neck. Mr. Floyd said, 'I can't breathe' multiple times and repeatedly said 'Mama' and 'please' as well. The defendant [Chauvin] and the other two officers stayed in their positions."

Floyd then stopped breathing or speaking. One of the officers checked his pulse and said "I couldn't find one," but Chauvin did not remove his knee for several more minutes. An ambulance eventually arrived; Floyd was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Floyd's family is seeking an independent autopsy after the initial examination "revealed no physical findings that support a diagnosis of traumatic asphyxia or strangulation" and said Floyd's "underlying health conditions including coronary artery disease and hypertensive heart disease" could have contributed to his death while under police restraint. The report adds that "the defendant had his knee on Mr. Floyd's neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds in total. Two minutes and 53 seconds of this was after Mr. Floyd was non-responsive." Jeva Lange

President Trump on Friday attempted to clean up his recent comments about the protests in Minneapolis that Twitter said violated its rules but surprisingly left a subsequent event without addressing the situation at all.

Trump in a late-night tweet commented on the protests in Minneapolis over the death of George Floyd, saying he may have the National Guard "assume control" and writing, "when the looting starts, the shooting starts," a message that Twitter attached a warning label to saying it violated its rules against glorifying violence. On Friday afternoon, Trump claimed that he meant to say that "looting leads to shooting" but that "I don't want this to happen," confusingly adding that this was "spoken as a fact, not as a statement."

The president shortly after spoke at a supposed news conference in the Rose Garden, and aides had said plans were in place for him to address the protests in Minneapolis, CNN's Sarah Westwood reports. Instead, he left without answering a single question or addressing Minneapolis at all, and Westwood writes it "remains unclear" why the plans apparently changed. PBS News' Yamiche Alcindor described seeing Trump leave without talking about the situation Minneapolis as "stunning." Brendan Morrow

Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer who was arrested in connection with the death of George Floyd, has now been charged with murder.

Prosecutors on Friday announced that Chauvin, who was fired after he was filmed kneeling on Floyd's neck for almost 10 minutes while Floyd said that he couldn't breathe, has been charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter. The charges were unveiled shortly after Chauvin's arrest was announced and four days after Floyd's death, which has sparked nationwide outrage and protests.

Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman in a press conference said this is "by far the fastest we've ever charged a police officer."

"We can only charge a case when he have sufficient, admissible evidence to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt," he said. "As of right now, we have that."

An investigation into the other officers involved in the incident is ongoing, Freeman said, adding that "I anticipate charges." A complaint is being processed and will be released later today.

Shortly after the charges were announced, Attorney General William Barr said in a statement that the Department of Justice is "conducting an independent investigation to determine whether any federal civil rights laws were violated," saying "I am confident justice will be served." Brendan Morrow

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) has responded to criticism of her time as Minneapolis' top prosecutor.

Before she was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2006, Klobuchar was the Hennepin County attorney in Minnesota, in charge of prosecution for the state's most populous county. Reports have indicated Klobuchar did not go after numerous police officers who shot civilians, and when MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell asked her about that on Friday, Klobuchar described her decisions as routine procedure, but also expressed regret for how she handled those cases.

"When I was county attorney, cases we had involving officer-involved shootings went to a grand jury. I think that was wrong now," Klobuchar said. "It would have been much better if I took responsibility and looked at cases and made a decision myself." Still, Klobuchar maintained that "we did not blow off these cases. We brought them to a grand jury, presented the evidence for a potential criminal prosecution, and the grand jury would come back with the decision."

Klobuchar also addressed a 2006 shooting that involved former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who was arrested Friday after kneeling on the neck of George Floyd, who later died. Klobuchar was elected to the Senate a week after Chauvin was implicated in the shooting of a suspect who was allegedly attacking police, and left her attorney position just a few months into an investigation into the incident. She said it's "absolutely false" that she declined to prosecute the case involving Chauvin, describing it as a case handled by her successor that a grand jury later declined to prosecute.

Klobuchar went on to call for "systematic change" following Floyd's death both in Minnesota and "across the country." Kathryn Krawczyk