Monday, June 29th, 2020
The New England Patriots reach an agreement to sign quarterback Cam Newton. He will replace the Patriots’ longtime quarterback Tom Brady, who left the team in March. (AP)
The worldwide COVID-19 case total surpasses 10 million. The United States remains the leading nation in cases, accounting for over 25% of both cases and deaths worldwide. (NBC News)
The worldwide death total for COVID-19 surpasses 500,000. (Al Jazeera)
The Mississippi Legislature votes to remove the Confederate battle flag from its 126-year-old state flag and to form a commission to redesign a new flag. Mississippi is the last U.S. state to display the Confederate battle emblem. The bill now heads to Governor Tate Reeves to sign into law. (NPR)
Following negotiations with creditors, Chesapeake Energy applies for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the United States. It will seek to restructure its debts in order to continue operations. The company is experiencing cash flow and liquidity issues due to low energy prices and large amounts of debt. (Reuters)
Sunday, June 28th, 2020
Global coronavirus cases top 10 million The number of confirmed global coronavirus cases crossed 10 million on Sunday, while deaths approached 500,000. The 10 million figure is roughly double the number of severe flu cases recorded every year, per the World Health Organization. The U.S. accounts for more than 25 percent of worldwide cases, and several states — including Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Nevada, and Arizona — either broke or matched their previous records for daily confirmed cases Saturday, prompting Vice President Mike Pence to call off campaign events in Arizona and Florida. Washington state, meanwhile, paused the fourth and final phase of re-opening in several counties after registering a new state record of infections over a seven-day stretch. India and Brazil are among other countries experiencing severe outbreaks. Some nations that had largely stemmed the virus’ spread, like China, Australia, and New Zealand, have seen smaller resurgences. Source: Reuters
Princeton University says it will remove the name of former U.S. President Woodrow Wilson from its public policy school and a residential college, calling him a “racist”. Christopher L. Eisgruber says that “Woodrow Wilson’s racist thinking and policies make him an inappropriate namesake for a school or college whose scholars, students and alumni must stand firmly against racism in all its forms”. (Al Jazeera)
White House: Trump didn’t hear ‘white power’ shout in retweeted video President Trump on Sunday retweeted a video showing his supporters clash with protesters in The Villages, a community in Florida. At the beginning of the clip, a man in a golf cart driving past the protesters shouts “white power,” but the racist incident didn’t prevent Trump from thanking “the great people of The Villages,” prompting an intense backlash from Democrats and Republicans alike. The retweet was later deleted, and the White House released a statement claiming the president “did not hear the statement made on the video” and is simply “a big fan of the video.” Source: Axios
1 killed in shooting at Breonna Taylor protest in Louisville One man was killed and another was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries after a shooting Saturday evening in Louisville, Kentucky. The fatal incident occurred at a park where demonstrators had gathered to protest the death of Breonna Taylor, who was shot and killed by police who entered her Louisville home on a no-knock warrant in March. Videos posted online appear to show a man on the edge of the park where Saturday’s gathering took place firing more than a dozen shots into the crowd as protesters scrambled to take cover. The police said they are investigating the shooting, but so far there have not been reports of any arrests. Source: The Associated Press
Biden criticizes Trump over intel report on Russian bounties Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee and former Vice President Joe Biden on Saturday criticized President Trump’s attitude toward Moscow following a New York Times report that United States intelligence determined a Russian military intelligence unit secretly paid Taliban-linked militants in Afghanistan bounties to kill U.S. and coalition troops. The Times reports Trump was briefed on the matter in March, but the White House denied that, though it did not dispute the validity of the intelligence report. Biden blasted Trump for failing to sanction Russia over the report. “His entire presidency has been a gift to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, but this is beyond the pale,” Biden said during a virtual town hall event Saturday. Both Russia and the Taliban have denied the American intelligence assessment. Source: CNBC
An employee is killed and four others injured in a mass shooting at a Walmart distribution center in Red Bluff, California, United States. The shooter was then confronted by responding police officers and fatally shot during a shootout. (AP News)
One person is killed and another injured when a gunman opened fire at people protesting the shooting of Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. (AP News)
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. (Hong Kong Free Press)
Government of Prime Minister Imran Khan approves a grant of Rs100 million for the construction of the first Hindu temple in the capital of Islamabad. (DAWN)
Incumbent president Guðni Th. Jóhannesson won re-election with 92.2% of the votes. (DW)
The End
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