Sunday, June 28th, 2020
An ISIL-affiliated group attack a town near billion-dollar gas projects managed by Total S.A. and Exxon Mobil in Mocímboa da Praia, Mozambique. An army spokesman reports that the armed forces suffered casualties in the attack. (Reuters)
India surpasses 500,000 cases after reporting 18,552 new cases in the last 24 hours, the highest toll to date. India also reports a total 15,685 deaths from the disease. (AP News)
Libya’s international-recognized government, the Government of National Accord, calls for the United States and the European Union to impose sanctions on individuals and “mercenaries”, after its National Oil Corporation stated that Russian mercenaries and other foreign actors had forced their way into the Sharara oilfield. (Al Jazeera)
At least one person is killed and another injured when a gunman opened fire at people protesting the shooting of Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky. (AP News)
At least two people are killed and four others injured in a mass shooting at a Walmart distribution center in Red Bluff, California. The shooter’s condition is unclear. (CNN)
Following long negotiations, the new Irish government is voted into office by Dáil Éireann. The government is formed after a historic coalition deal between Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party. Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin takes office as Taoiseach (Prime Minister), with outgoing Taoiseach Leo Varadkar as Tánaiste (deputy head of government), due to return to the post in December 2022 as part of the coalition deal. (RTÉ)
Police in Hong Kong ban the 1 July march for the first time in 17 years. In a letter of objection addressed to protest organizer and convenor of the Civil Human Rights Front (CHRF) Jimmy Sham, police cite “persisting social unrest” and vandalism. Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung rejects an appeal by the CHRF who have said they will appeal the ban. (HK Free Press)
5 states hit daily highs in coronavirus cases Four states — Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and Nevada — recorded recorded new highs in daily coronavirus reported Saturday with Florida doing so for the second straight day after tallying more than 9,5000 new infections. Arizona matched its previous high in cases set on Tuesday, while the state’s number of current COVID-19 hospitalizations reached a new peak at 2,577. Washington state, meanwhile, on Saturday paused the fourth and final phase of re-opening in several eastern counties Saturday after registering a new state record of coronavirus cases over a seven-day stretch. Overall, Johns Hopkins University data has found the United States has confirmed more than 2.5 million COVID-19 infections and more than 125,000 deaths since the coronavirus pandemic first hit the country earlier this year. Source: Reuters
Pence cancels campaign events in Arizona, Florida because of coronavirus spikes Vice President Mike Pence has called off campaign events scheduled for this coming week in Arizona and Florida “out of an abundance of caution” as the two states experience a surge in coronavirus cases, though he stil plans to travel to the states and meet with their respective governors and health teams. Pence will also reportedly still travel to Dallas, Texas, on Sunday to attend a rally at First Baptist Church Dallas and then meet with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. During a White House coronavirus task force briefing on Saturday, Pence put a positive spin on the current state of the pandemic in the U.S., arguing “we’re in a much better place.” Source: USA Today
Judge rules ICE must release detained children because of coronavirus U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement must release children currently held in the country’s three family detention centers for more than 20 days by July 17 because of concerns of the coronavirus, U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee of California ordered Friday. Gee said the centers, which house 124 children, are “on fire,” citing one Texas facility that has at least 11 confirmed cases. Gee said ICE could use tracking devices on some parents if it’s the only way to release the children safely to “non-congregate settings,” although the ruling applies only to children and does not compel ICE to release parents. In response to the ruling, the White House accused Gee of being part of a group of “activist judges” who “have imposed their own vision in the place of duly enacted laws.” Source: NBC News
Princeton to remove Woodrow Wilson’s name from public policy school Former President Woodrow Wilson’s name will be removed from Princeton University’s campus, University President Christopher L. Eisgruber said in a letter to the Princeton community Saturday. The decision to remove Wilson’s name from the School of Public and International Affairs, as well the residential college, Wilson College, is the result of a Board of Trustees vote. Eisgruber said the board determined “Wilson’s racist thinking and policies make him an inappropriate namesake for a school or college” that “must stand firmly against racism in all its forms.” The board had considered making the change in 2015, but opted to keep Wilson’s namesake since he played a vital role in turning Princeton into a leading research university when he served as the university’s president. However, recent nationwide protests against police brutality and systemic racism propelled the trustees to reconsider, Eisgruber said. Source: Princeton University
Nationals, Yankees reportedly slated to meet on MLB’s new Opening Day While the MLB is still finalizing its regionally-based, 60-game 2020 schedule as the league looks to return to action amid the coronavirus pandemic, the defending World Series champion Washington Nationals are reportedly slated to host the New York Yankees on July 23 to launch the altered season. If all goes according to plan, that would likely mean Washington’s ace Max Scherzer would face New York’s big free agent addition Gerrit Cole in a star-studded pitching matchup. The Nationals and Yankees were not initially slated to play this year, but the revamped schedule means teams will only play their division rivals as well as the other league’s corresponding regional division. In this case, that would be the National League East and the American League East. Source: The New York Post
The End