Saturday,  June 6th, 2020

Crowd gathers at Lincoln Memorial for protest  A quickly-growing, peaceful crowd of more than a thousand has reportedly gathered at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, as the city prepares for a full day of large demonstrations in response to the death of George Floyd, who was killed by police in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in May. D.C. police were planning to prohibit vehicle traffic in much of Washington’s downtown area. Meanwhile, the Pentagon this week reportedly told the small group of National Guardsmen deployed to the capital who had been carrying guns to disarm, and the department also announced that all active-duty military forces on standby would be sent to their home bases. Defense Secretary Mark Esper made the decision to disarm the Guard without consulting the White House, The Washington Post reports.Source: Reuters

2 Buffalo police officers charged with assault  Two Buffalo police officers, Robert McCabe and Aaron Torgalski, were both charged with one count of second-degree assault Saturday, prosecutors said, after they were seen on video Thursday shoving a 75-year-old man to the ground during protests against police brutality. The officers have pleaded not guilty and were released without bail. The video sparked outrage across the country, which intensified when the Buffalo Police Department said the protester, Martin Gugino, tripped and fell. Gugion was hospitalized with a head injury resulting from the fall. He is now in “serious, but stable condition” and is “progressing in his recovery.” McCabe and Torgalski were suspended without pay Friday, prompting the 57 of their colleagues on the Buffalo Police Department’s emergency response team to resign from the unit — but not the police force altogether — in their defense. Source: NPR

 Trump to withdraw 9,500 troops stationed in Germany President Trump on Friday directed the Pentagon to permanently remove 9,500 of the 34,500 American troops stationed in Germany, The Wall Street Journal reports. A senior U.S. official said the move had been in the works since last September and was not related to recent disagreements between Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. But the official did say the decision is consistent with Trump’s frustration over the fact that Germany, a key member of NATO, doesn’t meet the alliance’s goal of spending 2 percent of its GDP on defense. A senior German defense official said Berlin hasn’t been formally notified of the decision. Source:  The New York Times

Goodell says NFL was ‘wrong,’ encourages players to ‘peacefully protest’ In response to demands from players this week, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Friday the league now encourages players to “speak out and peacefully protest.” The statement comes several years after former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick launched a movement to kneel during the national anthem before games. The protest against police brutality deeply divided the league at the time, and Kaepernick has remained unsigned since the 2016 season. But Goodell now says the league was “wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier.” The reversal comes amid a wave of protests across the country, sparked by George Floyd’s death while in police custody. Goodell said he is also personally protesting and wants “to be part of the much-needed change in this country.” Source: ESPN

A three-alarm fire causes major damage to Amazon’s distribution center in Redlands, California. Despite the extent of the damage and the collapse of the roof, no injuries are reported as the staff was safely evacuated. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation. (CNN)

Former Vice President Joe Biden surpasses the required 1,991 delegates to win the Democratic nomination. He will face off against incumbent President Donald Trump in the general election in November. (NPR)

The End