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| Trump claims 'radical left' have 'taken over' Seattle during policing protests – as it happened | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Beyoncé demands justice for Breonna Taylor while Democrats lead calls for reform after Rayshard Brooks killing in Georgia | Beyoncé demands justice for Breonna Taylor while Democrats lead calls for reform after Rayshard Brooks killing in Georgia |
| Here’s a glance at today’s biggest news items ... | Here’s a glance at today’s biggest news items ... |
| Democrats call for police reform in wake of Rayshard Brooks killing. Leading Democrats said on Sunday the killing of an Atlanta man underlined the need for significant change in US law enforcement, as the country headed into a fourth week of unrest over police brutality and systemic racism. | Democrats call for police reform in wake of Rayshard Brooks killing. Leading Democrats said on Sunday the killing of an Atlanta man underlined the need for significant change in US law enforcement, as the country headed into a fourth week of unrest over police brutality and systemic racism. |
| Beyoncé seeks justice for Breonna Taylor in letter to Kentucky attorney general. A written message to Daniel Cameron from the recording artist highlights the fact that officers involved in the African American woman’s death are still employed. | Beyoncé seeks justice for Breonna Taylor in letter to Kentucky attorney general. A written message to Daniel Cameron from the recording artist highlights the fact that officers involved in the African American woman’s death are still employed. |
| Republicans insist Trump Tulsa rally won’t spread coronavirus – despite local concern. Republican lawmakers are downplaying concerns that a Trump indoor rally planned for Tulsa for next weekend could contribute to the spread Covid-19 amid an increase in cases in the city. | Republicans insist Trump Tulsa rally won’t spread coronavirus – despite local concern. Republican lawmakers are downplaying concerns that a Trump indoor rally planned for Tulsa for next weekend could contribute to the spread Covid-19 amid an increase in cases in the city. |
| Biden VP contenders in spotlight after Rayshard Brooks police killing. Friday’s tragic killing in Georgia focused a fierce national spotlight on Atlanta – and two of the candidates to be Joe Biden’s running mate against Donald Trump in November. | Biden VP contenders in spotlight after Rayshard Brooks police killing. Friday’s tragic killing in Georgia focused a fierce national spotlight on Atlanta – and two of the candidates to be Joe Biden’s running mate against Donald Trump in November. |
| White House adviser says Covid-19 payments are a ‘disincentive’ to work. “The $600 plus-up that’s above the state unemployment benefits they will continue to receive is in effect a disincentive,” White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said. “I mean, we’re paying people not to work.” | White House adviser says Covid-19 payments are a ‘disincentive’ to work. “The $600 plus-up that’s above the state unemployment benefits they will continue to receive is in effect a disincentive,” White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said. “I mean, we’re paying people not to work.” |
| Trump lashes out after critics highlight unsteady walk down West Point ramp. Amid widespread comment about his apparent difficulty walking down a ramp at West Point on Saturday, Donald Trump tweeted a predictably angry and dismissive response. | Trump lashes out after critics highlight unsteady walk down West Point ramp. Amid widespread comment about his apparent difficulty walking down a ramp at West Point on Saturday, Donald Trump tweeted a predictably angry and dismissive response. |
| The US has administered at least 23.5m coronavirus tests, though testing volumes remain wildly variable across the country according to Sunday’s just-released update from the Covid Tracking Project, a collaborative, volunteer-run project that collects data from local health departments. | The US has administered at least 23.5m coronavirus tests, though testing volumes remain wildly variable across the country according to Sunday’s just-released update from the Covid Tracking Project, a collaborative, volunteer-run project that collects data from local health departments. |
| Here are the 10 countries with the highest number of known cases, according to the Johns Hopkins tracker. The true figures for deaths and cases are likely to be higher, due to differing definitions and testing rates, time lags and suspected underreporting. | Here are the 10 countries with the highest number of known cases, according to the Johns Hopkins tracker. The true figures for deaths and cases are likely to be higher, due to differing definitions and testing rates, time lags and suspected underreporting. |
| US 2,090,358 | US 2,090,358 |
| Brazil 850,514 | Brazil 850,514 |
| Russia 528,267 | Russia 528,267 |
| India 320,922 | India 320,922 |
| UK 297,342 | UK 297,342 |
| Spain 243,928 | Spain 243,928 |
| Italy 236,989 | Italy 236,989 |
| Peru 225,132 | Peru 225,132 |
| France 194,153 | France 194,153 |
| Germany 187,518 | Germany 187,518 |
| Donald Trump, who has been relatively quiet on Twitter throughout Sunday as he celebrates his 74th birthday at his golf club in New Jersey, has accused the “radical left” of “taking over” Seattle and criticized the media’s coverage of it. | Donald Trump, who has been relatively quiet on Twitter throughout Sunday as he celebrates his 74th birthday at his golf club in New Jersey, has accused the “radical left” of “taking over” Seattle and criticized the media’s coverage of it. |
| “Does anyone notice how little the Radical Left takeover of Seattle is being discussed in the Fake News Media,” Trump wrote. “That is very much on purpose because they know how badly this weakness & ineptitude play politically. The Mayor & Governor should be ashamed of themselves. Easily fixed!” | “Does anyone notice how little the Radical Left takeover of Seattle is being discussed in the Fake News Media,” Trump wrote. “That is very much on purpose because they know how badly this weakness & ineptitude play politically. The Mayor & Governor should be ashamed of themselves. Easily fixed!” |
| He added: “Interesting how ANTIFA and other Far Left militant groups can take over a city without barely a wimpier [sic] from soft Do Nothing Democrat leadership, yet these same weak leaders become RADICAL when it comes to shutting down a state or city and its hard working, tax paying citizens!” | He added: “Interesting how ANTIFA and other Far Left militant groups can take over a city without barely a wimpier [sic] from soft Do Nothing Democrat leadership, yet these same weak leaders become RADICAL when it comes to shutting down a state or city and its hard working, tax paying citizens!” |
| Earlier Sunday, contrary to Trump’s secondary criticism over media coverage, Seattle police chief Carmen Best appeared on CBS’s Face the Nation, one of the highest-rated Washington discussion programs on television, and described her department’s approach to the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone, or Chaz, as “methodical” and “practical” to reach a resolution where everyone gets out safely. | Earlier Sunday, contrary to Trump’s secondary criticism over media coverage, Seattle police chief Carmen Best appeared on CBS’s Face the Nation, one of the highest-rated Washington discussion programs on television, and described her department’s approach to the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone, or Chaz, as “methodical” and “practical” to reach a resolution where everyone gets out safely. |
| “We don’t want anyone there to be harmed,” Best said. “We don’t want this to be something that devolves into a force situation. So we’re really trying to take a methodical, practical approach to reach a resolution where everyone gets out of here safely.” | “We don’t want anyone there to be harmed,” Best said. “We don’t want this to be something that devolves into a force situation. So we’re really trying to take a methodical, practical approach to reach a resolution where everyone gets out of here safely.” |
| When asked for her perspective on the protest movement that’s spread across America in the three weeks since George Floyd’s murder, Best acknowledged that change would be “incredibly difficult” but believes an opportunity exists to “bring people together and get positive change”. | When asked for her perspective on the protest movement that’s spread across America in the three weeks since George Floyd’s murder, Best acknowledged that change would be “incredibly difficult” but believes an opportunity exists to “bring people together and get positive change”. |
| “I was at the Black Lives Matter March, and I saw many people carrying signs about defunding the police, ending police brutality and looking at resolving the qualified immunity issue,” Best said. “So I know standing there watching and listening that we’re going to change in policing. We have to. It has to be a movement that involves everybody. And we need to reimagine and refigure out, if you will, how we’re going to move forward as a country and as an organization to make things better for everybody.” | “I was at the Black Lives Matter March, and I saw many people carrying signs about defunding the police, ending police brutality and looking at resolving the qualified immunity issue,” Best said. “So I know standing there watching and listening that we’re going to change in policing. We have to. It has to be a movement that involves everybody. And we need to reimagine and refigure out, if you will, how we’re going to move forward as a country and as an organization to make things better for everybody.” |
| Donald Trump’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame has been defaced yet again during Sunday afternoon’s Black Lives Matter protest in Los Angeles, although these days it might qualify as bigger news if the former reality TV host’s terrazzo-and-brass totem went longer than a week unmolested. | Donald Trump’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame has been defaced yet again during Sunday afternoon’s Black Lives Matter protest in Los Angeles, although these days it might qualify as bigger news if the former reality TV host’s terrazzo-and-brass totem went longer than a week unmolested. |
| Since Trump became US president in 2016, there have been a number of attempts to vandalize his star including, most successfully, a pickaxe attack in 2018. In 2016, James Lambert Otis, 53, was also recorded using a jackhammer and a pickaxe to remove Trump’s name. The star has also been the subject of protest art, with a wall erected around it in 2016 to symbolize the president’s policy on immigration. The Celebrity Apprentice host, accused of sexually harassing or abusing 25 women, received his star in 2007. | Since Trump became US president in 2016, there have been a number of attempts to vandalize his star including, most successfully, a pickaxe attack in 2018. In 2016, James Lambert Otis, 53, was also recorded using a jackhammer and a pickaxe to remove Trump’s name. The star has also been the subject of protest art, with a wall erected around it in 2016 to symbolize the president’s policy on immigration. The Celebrity Apprentice host, accused of sexually harassing or abusing 25 women, received his star in 2007. |
| In 2018, West Hollywood’s city council voted to remove it, a largely symbolic gesture as the star isn’t actually in West Hollywood. | In 2018, West Hollywood’s city council voted to remove it, a largely symbolic gesture as the star isn’t actually in West Hollywood. |
| The strip in Hollywood features multiple stars dedicated to celebrities, with recently announced honorees including Spike Lee, Octavia Spencer and Julia Roberts. Recipients are selected by a committee that considers applications throughout the year and stars are purchased for $30,000. | The strip in Hollywood features multiple stars dedicated to celebrities, with recently announced honorees including Spike Lee, Octavia Spencer and Julia Roberts. Recipients are selected by a committee that considers applications throughout the year and stars are purchased for $30,000. |
| Other celebrities who have seen their stars defaced include convicted rapist Bill Cosby and Ellen Degeneres. | Other celebrities who have seen their stars defaced include convicted rapist Bill Cosby and Ellen Degeneres. |
| Hundreds of demonstrators have gathered at the Montana State Capitol building in Helena in protest of the killing of George Floyd and in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. | Hundreds of demonstrators have gathered at the Montana State Capitol building in Helena in protest of the killing of George Floyd and in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. |
| The Helena Independent Record reports Sunday’s protest is the largest of a number of demonstrations that have been held in Montana’s capital city in recent weeks amid the nationwide backlash to police-related violence against black and brown people. | The Helena Independent Record reports Sunday’s protest is the largest of a number of demonstrations that have been held in Montana’s capital city in recent weeks amid the nationwide backlash to police-related violence against black and brown people. |
| The New York Times has reported that the protests for police reform in Floyd’s memory have spread to more than 2,000 cities and towns in all 50 states. | The New York Times has reported that the protests for police reform in Floyd’s memory have spread to more than 2,000 cities and towns in all 50 states. |
| My colleague Amanda Holpuch reports that Republican lawmakers are downplaying concerns that Donald Trump’s much-ballyhooed return to the rally circuit next weekend in Tulsa could contribute to the spread of Covid-19 in a region that has experienced an recent increase of cases. | My colleague Amanda Holpuch reports that Republican lawmakers are downplaying concerns that Donald Trump’s much-ballyhooed return to the rally circuit next weekend in Tulsa could contribute to the spread of Covid-19 in a region that has experienced an recent increase of cases. |
| You can read more here: | You can read more here: |
| Beyoncé has written a letter to Kentucky attorney general Daniel Cameron demanding justice for Breonna Taylor, the 26-year-old certified EMT who was shot to death by plainclothes police officers while asleep in her Louisville apartment in the early hours of 13 March. | Beyoncé has written a letter to Kentucky attorney general Daniel Cameron demanding justice for Breonna Taylor, the 26-year-old certified EMT who was shot to death by plainclothes police officers while asleep in her Louisville apartment in the early hours of 13 March. |
| The Houston-born recording artist, who posted the letter to her website on Sunday afternoon, ends with three specific requests: 1) to bring charges against the three officers who opened fire on the night (who have since been placed on administrative assignment); 2) a commitment to transparency in the investigation and prosecution of the officers; 3) an investigation into the Louisville police department’s response to the shooting. | The Houston-born recording artist, who posted the letter to her website on Sunday afternoon, ends with three specific requests: 1) to bring charges against the three officers who opened fire on the night (who have since been placed on administrative assignment); 2) a commitment to transparency in the investigation and prosecution of the officers; 3) an investigation into the Louisville police department’s response to the shooting. |
| Beyoncé addressed the ongoing wave of racist violence against black and brown people in her remarks last week during a virtual commencement ceremony for 2020 graduates. | Beyoncé addressed the ongoing wave of racist violence against black and brown people in her remarks last week during a virtual commencement ceremony for 2020 graduates. |
| “The killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and so many others have left us all broken,” she said. “It has left the entire country searching for answers. We’ve seen that our collective hearts, when put to positive action, could start the wheels of change. Real change has started with you. This new generation of high school and college graduates who we celebrate today.” | “The killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and so many others have left us all broken,” she said. “It has left the entire country searching for answers. We’ve seen that our collective hearts, when put to positive action, could start the wheels of change. Real change has started with you. This new generation of high school and college graduates who we celebrate today.” |
| The singer and mogul has long been a public advocate for the Black Lives Matter movement. In 2016, following the police shootings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, she posted a stark message in all-caps on her website and called on her legions of fans to demand action on police brutality: “We are sick and tired of the killings of young men and women in our communities. It is up to us to take a stand and demand that they ‘stop killing us.’” | The singer and mogul has long been a public advocate for the Black Lives Matter movement. In 2016, following the police shootings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, she posted a stark message in all-caps on her website and called on her legions of fans to demand action on police brutality: “We are sick and tired of the killings of young men and women in our communities. It is up to us to take a stand and demand that they ‘stop killing us.’” |
| Fulton County district attorney Paul Howard, who said on Saturday that his office has already launched an “intense, independent investigation” of the Rayshard Brooks shooting, tells CNN’s Fredericka Whitfield that a decision on whether charges will be brought against the officer involved in Friday night’s incident will be made “sometime around Wednesday”. | Fulton County district attorney Paul Howard, who said on Saturday that his office has already launched an “intense, independent investigation” of the Rayshard Brooks shooting, tells CNN’s Fredericka Whitfield that a decision on whether charges will be brought against the officer involved in Friday night’s incident will be made “sometime around Wednesday”. |
| “[Brooks] did not seem to present any threat to anyone,” Howard said. “The fact that it would escalate to his death seems unreasonable.” | “[Brooks] did not seem to present any threat to anyone,” Howard said. “The fact that it would escalate to his death seems unreasonable.” |
| Howard added that three charges are under consideration in the case: murder, felony murder or voluntary manslaughter. | Howard added that three charges are under consideration in the case: murder, felony murder or voluntary manslaughter. |
| Garrett Rolfe, the seven-year veteran of the Atlanta police department recently trained on de-escalation tactics who killed Brooks, was terminated on Saturday, APD spokesman Carlos Campos said. | Garrett Rolfe, the seven-year veteran of the Atlanta police department recently trained on de-escalation tactics who killed Brooks, was terminated on Saturday, APD spokesman Carlos Campos said. |
| As statues of Confederate leaders and slave owners are taken (or torn) down in the US, France’s president says his country will not take such moves with monuments from its colonial era. Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday that “the republic will not erase any trace, or any name, from its history ... it will not take down any statue.” | As statues of Confederate leaders and slave owners are taken (or torn) down in the US, France’s president says his country will not take such moves with monuments from its colonial era. Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday that “the republic will not erase any trace, or any name, from its history ... it will not take down any statue.” |
| Macron did, however, acknowledge that a French citizen’s “address, name, color of skin” can affect their chances of success. Anti-racism protests have taken place across France in recent weeks, and police fired tear gas into a demonstration on Saturday. | Macron did, however, acknowledge that a French citizen’s “address, name, color of skin” can affect their chances of success. Anti-racism protests have taken place across France in recent weeks, and police fired tear gas into a demonstration on Saturday. |
| Macron promised he would be “uncompromising in the face of racism, anti-Semitism and discrimination.” | Macron promised he would be “uncompromising in the face of racism, anti-Semitism and discrimination.” |
| Macron also addressed the Covid-19 pandemic, saying restrictions in France would be eased further on Monday. “We must get our economy back on track whilst protecting the most vulnerable,” Macron said. | Macron also addressed the Covid-19 pandemic, saying restrictions in France would be eased further on Monday. “We must get our economy back on track whilst protecting the most vulnerable,” Macron said. |
| The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports that seven Minneapolis police officers have resigned in the wake of the death of George Floyd protests. According to the newspaper: | The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports that seven Minneapolis police officers have resigned in the wake of the death of George Floyd protests. According to the newspaper: |
| “Morale has sunk to new lows in recent weeks, say department insiders, as officers reported feeling misunderstood and squeezed by all sides: by the state probe; by protesters, who hurled bricks and epithets their way; by city leaders, who surrendered a police station that later burned on national television, and by the media. Numerous officers and protesters were injured the rioting.” | “Morale has sunk to new lows in recent weeks, say department insiders, as officers reported feeling misunderstood and squeezed by all sides: by the state probe; by protesters, who hurled bricks and epithets their way; by city leaders, who surrendered a police station that later burned on national television, and by the media. Numerous officers and protesters were injured the rioting.” |
| A former Minneapolis police officer, Mylan Masson, told the Star-Tribune that “[officers] don’t feel appreciated. Everybody hates the police right now. I mean everybody.” | A former Minneapolis police officer, Mylan Masson, told the Star-Tribune that “[officers] don’t feel appreciated. Everybody hates the police right now. I mean everybody.” |
| In an appearance on CNN on Sunday, Minnesota congresswoman Ilhan Omar said the city’s police department was “rotten to the root”. | In an appearance on CNN on Sunday, Minnesota congresswoman Ilhan Omar said the city’s police department was “rotten to the root”. |
| Four Minneapolis police officers have been charged over the death of Floyd after one officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes last month. | Four Minneapolis police officers have been charged over the death of Floyd after one officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes last month. |
| On ABC’s This Week earlier, the Oklahoma Republican senator James Lankford was asked if it was time to stop having military bases named after Confederate generals. | On ABC’s This Week earlier, the Oklahoma Republican senator James Lankford was asked if it was time to stop having military bases named after Confederate generals. |
| “If you have a military base that is named after someone that actually rebelled against the United States government, then you would want to be able to go back and look at that name,” he said. “That should be a pretty basic principle.” | “If you have a military base that is named after someone that actually rebelled against the United States government, then you would want to be able to go back and look at that name,” he said. “That should be a pretty basic principle.” |
| The Associated Press has had some fun with this issue, over Donald Trump’s expressed high regard for such generals. | The Associated Press has had some fun with this issue, over Donald Trump’s expressed high regard for such generals. |
| Even though I’m both weekend editor and Guardian US resident history-loving centrist dad and civil war nerd, I don’t think I can justify running the AP piece in full. But I can bullet-point its admirable dissection of some of the ways in which such generals really don’t stand for “Winning, Victory, and Freedom” as the president claimed. | Even though I’m both weekend editor and Guardian US resident history-loving centrist dad and civil war nerd, I don’t think I can justify running the AP piece in full. But I can bullet-point its admirable dissection of some of the ways in which such generals really don’t stand for “Winning, Victory, and Freedom” as the president claimed. |
| As the AP puts it, some of the generals “made costly battlefield blunders; others mistreated captured Union soldiers, some were slaveholders and one was linked to the Ku Klux Klan after the war”. | As the AP puts it, some of the generals “made costly battlefield blunders; others mistreated captured Union soldiers, some were slaveholders and one was linked to the Ku Klux Klan after the war”. |
| Here’s how: | Here’s how: |
| Gen Robert E Lee: though his early victories put the Union army on the defensive, his failure at the battle of Gettysburg in 1863, capped by the disastrous Pickett’s Charge, was the turning point of the war. Lee has been portrayed in the South as a gentlemanly hero, but he was a slaveholder in his native Virginia and at least one of his former slaves testified that Lee had him whipped brutally. | Gen Robert E Lee: though his early victories put the Union army on the defensive, his failure at the battle of Gettysburg in 1863, capped by the disastrous Pickett’s Charge, was the turning point of the war. Lee has been portrayed in the South as a gentlemanly hero, but he was a slaveholder in his native Virginia and at least one of his former slaves testified that Lee had him whipped brutally. |
| Gen Braxton Bragg: namesake for the famed North Carolina army base, was also a slaveholder and an unpopular general who resigned his command after defeat in 1863 at Chattanooga. | Gen Braxton Bragg: namesake for the famed North Carolina army base, was also a slaveholder and an unpopular general who resigned his command after defeat in 1863 at Chattanooga. |
| Gen John Bell Hood, namesake of the Texas base, and his other commanders slept at Spring Hill, Tennessee, after a long day of mostly successful fighting in 1864, allowing Union soldiers to get away on a road so close to the sleeping Confederates that some reportedly used the rebels’ campfires to light their pipes. He followed with defeat at Franklin, Tennessee. | Gen John Bell Hood, namesake of the Texas base, and his other commanders slept at Spring Hill, Tennessee, after a long day of mostly successful fighting in 1864, allowing Union soldiers to get away on a road so close to the sleeping Confederates that some reportedly used the rebels’ campfires to light their pipes. He followed with defeat at Franklin, Tennessee. |
| Gen AP Hill: namesake of a base in Virginia, was killed in battle in 1865 but is remembered for actions after the Battle of the Crater in 1864, where some rebel troops were enraged by the North’s use of black units. Some soldiers wrote letters describing rebels executing defenseless black soldiers. | Gen AP Hill: namesake of a base in Virginia, was killed in battle in 1865 but is remembered for actions after the Battle of the Crater in 1864, where some rebel troops were enraged by the North’s use of black units. Some soldiers wrote letters describing rebels executing defenseless black soldiers. |
| Gen George Pickett, namesake of another Virginia base and the big loser at Gettysburg, had 22 Union soldiers executed and later fled to Canada. | Gen George Pickett, namesake of another Virginia base and the big loser at Gettysburg, had 22 Union soldiers executed and later fled to Canada. |
| Gen John Brown Gordon: an effective commander, became governor of Georgia after the war but was suspected of being a Klan leader in the state. | Gen John Brown Gordon: an effective commander, became governor of Georgia after the war but was suspected of being a Klan leader in the state. |
| Here’s some related reading: | Here’s some related reading: |
| The Associated Press is reporting that at least seven Minneapolis police officers have quit and another seven are in the process of resigning, citing a lack of support from department and city leaders as protests over George Floyd’s death escalated. | The Associated Press is reporting that at least seven Minneapolis police officers have quit and another seven are in the process of resigning, citing a lack of support from department and city leaders as protests over George Floyd’s death escalated. |
| Floyd was killed on 25 May, when an officer kneeled on his neck for almost nine minutes. The death inspired protests, some of which turned violent in the city and in other cities across the US. | Floyd was killed on 25 May, when an officer kneeled on his neck for almost nine minutes. The death inspired protests, some of which turned violent in the city and in other cities across the US. |
| More from the AP: | More from the AP: |