Friday,  June 5th, 2020

Riots break out and the governor’s palace is attacked in Guadalajara, Mexico, after police officers in Ixtlahuacán de los Membrillos beat a young worker to death for not wearing a medical mask. (Puerto Vallarta Daily News)

New York City reports its first day without COVID-19 deaths since March 11. (CNBC)

The COVID-19 death toll in the United Kingdom passes over 40,000. (The Independent)

The mass annual vigil commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests at Victoria Park, Hong Kong, is banned by the city police for the first time, citing concerns of local COVID-19 transmissions. Local commemorations are held across the city. (Hong Kong Free Press)

Tens of thousands of people, in multiple locations across Hong Kong, defy the ban against gatherings to observe the anniversary, carrying lit candles and chanting democracy slogans. The largest group, in Victoria Park, heard Lee Cheuk-yan, former Chairman of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China, read the Alliance’s manifesto and vow to return next year.  (International Business Times)

Unemployment rate surprisingly declines to 13.3 percent  The Labor Department on Friday unexpectedly said the U.S. unemployment rate declined to 13.3 percent in May after rising to 14.7 percent in April. The report surprised experts, as economists had been forecasting that the unemployment rate would increase to around 20 percent. The report showed that 2.5 million jobs were added in May after in April, 20.7 million jobs were lost. All 50 states have started reopening their economies after shutting down during the coronavirus pandemic, and the Labor Department said “these improvements in the labor market reflected a limited resumption of economic activity that had been curtailed in March and April.” The report pointed to “leisure and hospitality, construction, education and health services, and retail trade” as areas where employment “rose sharply.” Source:  The New York Times

Minneapolis agrees to outlaw police chokeholds  Minneapolis agreed Friday to ban police chokeholds after negotiations with Minnesota’s Department of Human Rights. The decision comes after a police officer kneeled on George Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes last week; two autopsies found Floyd died from asphyxia “due to neck and back compression” by the officer. In the new agreement, chokeholds will be illegal and any police officer who witnesses an illegal use of force must intervene verbally or physically and immediately report the incident, or face disciplinary action. Three ex-police officers witnessed Floyd’s death and have since been charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder. The agreement to update chokehold policies in Minneapolis will require court approval. Source: The Associated Press

Dow climbs more than 800 points after May’s better-than-expected jobs report  The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed more than 829 points on Friday following a jobs report that showed the unemployment rate surprisingly decline. The S&P 500 also jumped 2.6 percent. The Labor Department said the unemployment rate declined to 13.3 percent in May as the economy added 2.5 million jobs. While the unemployment rate remains high, it wasn’t expected to decline at all in May, and economists were predicting around 20 percent unemployment. Friday marked the first time the Dow closed above 27,000 in three months, and Wall Street is close to January numbers recorded before the coronavirus pandemic affected the economy. The S&P 500 is reportedly close to recouping all of its 2020 losses. Source: CNBC

 

Thursday, June 4th, 2020

Los Angeles officials announce an end to the county-wide curfew amid continuing protests. (Los Angeles Times)

Two Buffalo police officers are suspended without pay after shoving a 75-year-old protestor to the ground. He has been hospitalized from the resulting head injury. (The New York Times)

Brazil surpasses Italy with the third high COVID-19 death toll. (The Guardian)

 

 

The End

Thursday, June 4th, 2020

North Korea issues warning that it would end a 2018 inter-Korean military agreement if South Korea fails to stop defectors and activists from sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets into the demilitarized zone (DMZ). (DW).

Los Angeles officials announce an end to the county-wide curfew amid continuing protests. (Los Angeles Times)

The mass annual vigil commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests at Victoria Park, Hong Kong, is banned by the city police for the first time, citing concerns of local COVID-19 transmissions. Local commemorations are held across the city instead. (Hong Kong Free Press)

New unemployment claims shrink again, to 1.8 million in the past week  Around 1.88 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits for the first time last week, according to numbers released Thursday by the Department of Labor. The number, in line with economists’ expectations, brings the total number of people who’ve filed new jobless claims to 42.6 million over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. It also continues a downward trend that could signify the worst of the coronavirus economic crash is over. At the unemployment boom’s peak in late March, 6.9 million people filed claims. Still, 21.5 million people filed continuing claims — claims filed for at least two weeks in a row — in a sign that some people aren’t getting their jobs back even as parts of the economy reopen.  Source: NBC News

Ex-officer charged with 2nd-degree murder in Floyd’s death, 3 more charged  Three former police officers were on Wednesday charged in connection with George Floyd’s death, and another’s charges have been stepped up. Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer who kneeled on Floyd’s neck for almost nine minutes, last week was charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter, but Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has now elevated the charges to second-degree murder. The three other officers who were are at the scene, Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng, and Thomas Lane, are being charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder. Attorney Benjamin Crump, who is representing the Floyd family, previously said he expected the other three officers to be arrested, calling them “just as guilty for the death of George Floyd as Officer Chauvin.”  Source: Star Tribune

Obama: Protests offer ‘opportunity for people to be awakened’ to systemic racism Former President Barack Obama spoke on Wednesday to address the nation regarding the ongoing protests over police brutality that broke out following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Obama called the protests “an incredible opportunity for people to be awakened to some of [the] underlying trends” of systemic racism. He also specifically addressed young people of color, saying, “I want you to know that your lives matter. Your dreams matter.” Obama previously published a blog post calling the protests largely “peaceful, courageous, responsible, and inspiring,” and has called on protesters to determine specific demands for criminal justice and police reform.  Source: ABC News

Trump administration to block passenger flights from China  The Trump administration is planning to block Chinese passenger carriers from flying into the United States, the Department of Transportation announced Wednesday, saying China is still “unable” to say when it will “allow U.S. carriers to reinstate scheduled passenger flights.” China has essentially stopped U.S. airlines from being able to resume service to the country in March, China’s regulators limited foreign carriers to one flight per week. The Transportation Department says China “effectively precludes U.S. carriers from reinstating scheduled passenger flights to China,” and says it will block flights “to restore a competitive balance.” The ban is reportedly set to go into effect on June 16, though the Transportation Department says that it could “revisit” the decision if China changes its policies.  Source: Reuters