RT America -- June 26, 2014

Police forces are increasingly being armed with heavy weaponry designed for war, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. The organization released a report Tuesday detailing the increasingly militarized weaponry and tactics being used by law enforcement agencies across the country. Central to the trend is the deployment of heavily armed SWAT teams to non-violent situations, mainly drug searches of minority individuals and families. RT’s Manila Chan discusses the issue with Elizabeth Beavers of the Friends Committee on National Legislation.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg suffered a defeat Thursday at the hands of the state’s supreme court. Upholding a lower court’s decision to strike down the contentious ban on sugary drinks over 16-ounces in size, the panel of judges essentially killed Bloomberg’s effort to be the nanny of every citizen in the city. RT’s Anastasia Churkina hit the streets of Times Square to get the reactions of New Yorkers.