- U.S.Yahoo News
Obama to George Floyd protesters: Channel 'justifiable anger' into action
Former President Barack Obama on Monday addressed the nationwide protests over the death of George Floyd, praising the “overwhelming majority” of peaceful demonstrators, condemning the violence brought on by a “small minority” and calling on a “new generation of activists” to “bring about real change.” “The waves of protests across the country represent a genuine and legitimate frustration over a decades-long failure to reform police practices and the broader criminal justice system in the United States,” Obama wrote in an essay published on Medium.com. The former president then lauded police in Camden, N.J., and Flint, Mich., for publicly supporting peaceful protests before he criticized demonstrators who have been acting violently.
- U.S.Yahoo News
Biden suggests police could shoot assailants 'in the leg instead of the heart'
Joe Biden said Monday that police under attack in the line of duty should shoot their assailants “in the leg instead of the heart” as a way to avert the killing of civilians. Biden's remarks were made as cities across the nation continue to be engulfed in violent protests in the wake of the death of George Floyd, an African-American, in police custody in Minneapolis. Former Officer Derek Chauvin, who kneeled on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes, was charged Friday with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
- U.S.Yahoo News
New Yahoo News/YouGov poll: Most Americans say Trump is a 'racist' and want him to stop tweeting
The survey, conducted on May 29 and 30, found that 52 percent of Americans answered yes when asked whether they “think that President Trump is a racist.” Only 37 percent said no. Just 33 percent said the president should continue “posting messages on Twitter.”
- U.S.Business Insider
'You will move, or you will die': A frightened truck driver's viral Facebook post says truckers will 'defend themselves' by running over protesters
A truck driver named Bogdan Vechirko is in jail for assault charges after he nearly drove an 18-wheeler into a large group of protesters in Minneapolis on Sunday. Minnesota state officials said on Monday that his truck was not loaded and that, because he slammed the brakes before getting too close to the crowd, he did not intend to injure any protesters. A Facebook post from originally from a trucking education page asserts that truck drivers who are facing protesters have the right to drive into them.
- U.S.INSIDER
The head of the Minneapolis police union called protests a 'terrorist movement' and blamed politicians for unrest in a leaked email
Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images In a leaked email, the president of the Minneapolis Federation of Police said the ongoing protests over the death of George Floyd were a "terrorist movement" that has occurred following a "long time build up which dates back years." Lt. Bob Kroll blamed politicians for the ongoing tension, specifically targeting Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. The former police chief of Minneapolis called on Kroll to resign, and Frey said Kroll was "shockingly indifferent to his role in undermining that trust and support" of the police force.
- WorldAssociated Press
Iran scientist acquitted in US trade secrets case deported
An Iranian scientist imprisoned in the U.S. and acquitted in a federal trade secrets case is on his way back to Iran after being deported, the country's foreign minister said Tuesday. Sirous Asgari was in the air on a flight back to Iran, Mohammad Javad Zarif said in an Instagram post. "Congratulations to his wife and his esteemed family,” Zarif wrote.
- U.S.Reuters
Floyd family autopsy could help accused policeman's defense, legal experts say
An independent autopsy that found George Floyd died solely from asphyxiation could actually bolster the defense of the former Minneapolis police officer charged with killing him, legal experts said. The autopsy released on Monday said Floyd's death, which sparked nationwide protests, was a homicide and that he had no underlying medical conditions. Later on Monday, the Hennepin County Medical Examiner released details of its autopsy findings that also said Floyd's death was a homicide caused by asphyxiation but that he had possible underlying health conditions and intoxicants in his body that may have been contributing factors in his death..
- HealthThe Mighty
New Evidence Suggests COVID-19 May Actually Be a Blood Vessel Disease
What's new: While early on COVID-19 was branded as a respiratory illness, its wide array of symptoms — from the toes to the brain — baffled experts. According to experts interviewed in an Elemental article, it's unprecedented that a respiratory illness could migrate outside the lungs. But new research suggests COVID-19 may actually be a blood vessel disease, which would explain all of the virus' symptoms.
- WorldBBC
Coronavirus: Brazil now fourth-highest nation in Covid-19 deaths
The number of coronavirus fatalities in Brazil has risen by almost 1,000 in a day, making the country's overall death toll the world's fourth highest. Its figure of 28,834 has now surpassed France, and only the US, the UK and Italy have recorded more deaths. President Jair Bolsonaro has consistently played down the outbreak, although the country has the world's second-highest number of cases.
- U.S.The Independent
‘Wanton thuggery’: Australian reporter knocked down by police live on air as she covered George Floyd protests in DC
US riot police were broadcast live on air using aggressive force to push and knock down an Australian reporter and her cameraman as they covered the Black Lives Matter protests in Washington DC, prompting an investigation by the Australian embassy. Amelia Brace, a reporter for Australian television network Channel 7, was broadcasting from the White House with cameraman Timothy Myers when police plouged into the crowd with riot shields, firing rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse them. Footage of the police barrelling at the camera and shoving the news team was viewed over a million times in a matter of hours.
- U.S.NBC News
NYC Mayor de Blasio's daughter arrested during Saturday night protests
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio's daughter, Chiara de Blasio, was arrested Saturday night during the citywide protests over the death of George Floyd, a senior NYPD law enforcement official told NBC News. Chiara de Blasio was arrested Saturday night at East 12th Street and Broadway in Manhattan for “unlawful assembly.” The official said Chiara de Blasio was taken into custody at 10:30 p.m. She has been released.
- U.S.The Daily Beast
Kellyanne Conway Lashes Out at Bishop Who Condemned Trump’s Church Photo-Op
Kellyanne Conway defended President Trump's decision to tear-gas protesters for a photo-op in front of St. John's Episcopal Church Monday night by going after the bishop who presides over that congregation. The White House counselor was confronted with the criticism from Episcopal Bishop Mariann Budde during an appearance on Fox News early Tuesday afternoon. After listing off various actions Trump has taken in the name of “religious liberty”—implying that all clergy should be grateful for his help—Conway addressed Budde directly.
- U.S.Military.com
Minnesota Guard Carrying Guns and Ammo in Response to 'Credible Threat,' General Says
As law enforcement officials brace for another night of violent protests in Minneapolis, Minnesota National Guard members activated to support them are now armed and carrying ammunition, the general in charge said Sunday. Guard members are carrying rifles, sidearms and ammunition in response to a "credible threat" aimed directly against them as reported by the FBI, Army Maj. Gen. Jon Jensen, adjutant general of the Minnesota National Guard, said in a phone briefing with reporters. The number of Guard members activated in Minnesota to support local law enforcement reportedly could reach 10,000.
- U.S.INSIDER
'My face exploded': Police firing rubber bullets have wounded and permanently disabled protesters and journalists
Social media is filled with images of wounded protesters and journalists who have been struck by rubber bullets and tear gas canisters in the eyes and face. Some have even lost their sight. Experts policing, however, tell Insider that rubber bullets are considered "less lethal" weapons — and many police departments have considered them a "legitimate tool" for decades.
- WorldThe Telegraph
Iranian 'spy' scientist flies home after release from US prison, raising hopes of prisoner swap
The families of British dual nationals imprisoned by Iran today criticised the Foreign Office for “complete inaction” in trying to secure their release, as an Iranian scientist previously jailed by the US was allowed to fly home. A plane carrying Sirous Asgari took off early this morning and was on its way back to Tehran to bring him home, Iran's foreign minister announced, raising hopes of a potential prisoner swap for Western dual nationals in Iran. Mr Asgari was accused by a US court in 2016 of stealing trade secrets while on an academic visit to Ohio, where he visited a university working on projects for the US Navy.
- WorldBusiness Insider
Leaked documents reveal China withheld crucial information about the coronavirus at the start of the outbreak
Xinhua via REUTERS China delayed the release of information about the coronavirus, according to a new investigation. Its health officials did not share the coronavirus genome until over a week after scientists in Chinese laboratories decoded it at the beginning of January. Beijing did not warn the World Health Organization that the virus passed between people until two weeks later.
U.S.WLS – ChicagoPolice in Naperville respond to reports of looting
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has called in more reinforcement from the National Guard after protests in some Chicago suburbs devolved into violence and looting overnight.
- WorldBBC
Senator tells MPs Huawei puts US troops at risk
One of Huawei's leading critics, US Senator Tom Cotton, has told UK MPs that he fears China is trying to use the telecoms equipment-maker to "drive a hi-tech wedge between us". The Republican politician was giving evidence to an inquiry by the House of Commons' Defence Select Committee into the security of 5G. Mr Cotton added that the US, UK and other allies could team up to develop superior 5G technologies of their own. Huawei said the claims lacked evidence.
- BusinessReuters
U.S. awards new $628 million contract to boost output of potential COVID-19 vaccine
As drugmakers race to develop vaccines, tests and therapies for the disease, the United States is looking to secure manufacturing capacity under its "Operation Warp Speed" program announced in May to accelerate vaccine development. "Securing more manufacturing capacity here in America for candidates that make it to the final stages of Operation Warp Speed will help get a vaccine to American patients without a day wasted," Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar said in a statement. The HHS task order with Emergent falls under an existing contract with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), a U.S. federal agency that funds disease-fighting technology.
- U.S.NBC News
Cop in Las Vegas critically wounded, others elsewhere injured in protests
A police officer in Las Vegas was critically wounded as others in New York and St. Louis were also injured during ongoing civil unrest sparked by last week's death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, officials said Tuesday. "This has been a long night for your police department ... and a tragic night for our community," Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Joseph Lombardo told reporters Tuesday. "With these protests, which are leading to riots, one tragedy is only leading to another."
- U.S.The New York Times
8 Minutes and 46 Seconds: How George Floyd Was Killed in Police Custody
On May 25, Minneapolis police officers arrested George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, after a deli employee called 911, accusing him of buying cigarettes with a counterfeit $20 bill. Seventeen minutes after the first squad car arrived at the scene, Floyd was unconscious and pinned beneath three police officers, showing no signs of life. The day after Floyd's death, the Police Department fired all four of the officers involved in the episode, and on Friday the Hennepin County attorney, Mike Freeman, announced murder and manslaughter charges against Derek Chauvin, the officer who can be seen most clearly in witness videos pinning Floyd to the ground.
U.S.AFPBiden blasts Trump's photo op in front of riot-damaged church
US President Donald Trump spurred fresh outrage Monday after police used tear gas to clear protesters from outside the White House so he could pose for photographs at a nearby church damaged during civil unrest. The move earned him a sharp rebuke from the city mayor, the Episcopal bishop, and leading Democrats including former vice president Joe Biden, who decried the use of force merely "for a photo." Trump's visit to the historic St John's Church, across the street from the White House came after he delivered an address denouncing vandalism that has followed anti-racism protests that have gripped the country for a week.
- U.S.Military.com
Minnesota National Guard Opened Fire on a Vehicle, Commander Says
A soldier in Minneapolis opened fire on a speeding vehicle that posed a threat Sunday night -- the second known instance of a National Guard member discharging a weapon during the nationwide mass protests, the Minnesota National Guard commander said Monday. "Our soldier fired three rounds from his rifle in response to a direct threat" from a vehicle that drove at a position held by local law enforcement supported by the Guard, said Army Maj. Gen. Jon Jensen, adjutant general of the Minnesota National Guard. Read Next: Army Vet Lawmaker: Invoke Insurrection Act, Deploy Active-Duty Troops to Riots The driver ignored warnings to stop or turn away before the soldier opened fire, Jensen added.
- WorldAssociated Press
UN forced to cut aid to Yemen, even as virus increases need
Aid organizations are making an urgent plea for funding to shore up their operations in war-torn Yemen, saying they have already been forced to stop some of their work even as the coronavirus rips through the country. “It's almost impossible to look a family in the face, to look them in the eyes and say, 'I'm sorry but the food that you need in order to survive we have to cut in half,'” Lise Grande, resident U.N. coordinator for Yemen, told The Associated Press. The dwindling funds are the result of several factors, but among the top reasons is obstruction by Yemen's Houthi rebels, who control the capital, Sanaa, and other territories.
- BusinessBusiness Insider
Fauci just criticized Moderna for touting preliminary data on its coronavirus vaccine, but said the results look 'very promising'
ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images Several companies have been racing to develop a vaccine for the novel coronavirus, and research efforts are moving faster than ever before. Moderna, which just entered its phase two trial for its coronavirus vaccine, is one of the companies on the forefront of developing such a vaccine. On May 18, Moderna released preliminary data on phase I trials of its coronavirus vaccine, putting the company on headlines and skyrocketing its stock prices.
