Monday, July 6th, 2020

For the first time scientists at the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope discover neutral hydrogen atoms outside of the Milky Way. (RT)

At least two people are killed and eight injured, four critically, in a mass shooting at a nightclub in Greenville, South Carolina. No suspects have been arrested.  (CNN)

American rapper and entrepreneur Kanye West formally announces his campaign in the U.S. presidential election on Twitter. He is running as an independent. (Billboard)

A female Siberian tiger attacks and kills a 55-year-old zookeeper at Zürich Zoo in Zürich, Switzerland. (Reuters)

Florida’s new daily high in coronavirus cases just shy of New York’s record Florida on Saturday recorded another daily high in coronavirus infections. The state’s 11,458 new cases is just shy of New York state’s one-day record of 11,571 positive tests in April. Texas also set a new state record, tallying 8,258 newly confirmed cases, while it also registered an all-time high in the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 for the sixth straight day. Health experts are concerned celebrations during the July 4 weekend will exacerbate the problem in several states that are already dealing with a rising number of cases and positive test rates. While the surge in cases in some states mirror what happened in New York earlier this year, the average daily COVID-19 death toll in the U.S. has continued to decline, perhaps because younger, healthier people are making up a larger percent of those infected, but there are concerns that trend won’t hold.Source:  Reuters

Trump vows to defeat ‘radical left’ in White House Independence Day speech Just one day after his divisive speech at Mount Rushmore, President Trump on Saturday delivered a similar Independence Day address — this time at the White House — in which he said his administration was “in the process of defeating the radical left” amid nationwide protests against police brutality and systemic racism, which have included efforts to remove numerous statues and monuments. “We will never allow an angry mob to tear down our statues, erase our history, indoctrinate our children, or trample on our freedoms,” he said to an audience that included front-line medical workers and others central in responding to the coronavirus pandemic. Trump did touch on the pandemic in his speech, as well, defending his administration’s response and expressing optimism that “we’ve learned to put out the flame” despite a record-setting rise in daily infections in states like Florida and Texas. Source: The Associated Press

Biden urges Americans to ‘rip the roots of systemic racism out of’ U.S. in July 4 message Former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, on Saturday delivered an Independence Day message calling on Americans to “commit to finally” fulfilling the goals of the Declaration of Independence. Biden said the U.S. was founded on the idea “that all men are created equal” but “we’ve never lived up to it.” From there, Biden’s short video then took an optimistic turn as he claimed “we have a chance to rip the roots of systemic racism out of this country” and “live up to the words that founded this nation.” The former vice president did not mention his likely future opponent, President Trump, by name. Source: Slate

The Indian government extends the lockdown in the city of Agra and delays the reopening of the Taj Mahal for tourists and visitors after a spike in COVID-19 cases in the country. (Reuters)

Michigan reports no new deaths from COVID-19 for the first time since March 17. (MLive.com)

Iran’s Ministry of Health and Medical Education reports the highest daily death toll to date from COVID-19, recording 163 deaths. Iran’s cases reach 240,438 while the deaths jump to 11,571. (Reuters)

The death toll amid civil unrest in Oromia Region, Ethiopia, rises to 166 people, including 11 security personnel. More than 1,000 people have been arrested. (BBC)