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

 

 

Tuesday,  June 2nd, 2020

Nearly one-third of unemployment benefits owed to Americans haven’t been paid  Over the course of the last three months, the Treasury Department has disbursed $146 billion in unemployment benefits to Americans who have lost their jobs throughout the coronavirus pandemic. That’s more than in all of 2009, when unemployment peaked following the financial crisis, but it’s still reportedly only two-thirds of what’s actually owed. The total bill should have reached $214 billion by now, which means millions of Americans have yet to receive their benefits. Millions still haven’t had their jobless claims processed, and reported numbers are likely understated. A spokesperson for the Labor Department told Bloomberg that “states are struggling to keep up with demand and some have backlogs they are working through,” even as some have expanded call centers and brought in other government workers to help with the claims. Source: Bloomberg

India approves the use of remdesivir to treat emergency COVID-19 cases that require immediate attention. (The Jakarta Post)

Protests continue across U.S. despite Trump’s threats to deploy military  Protests against police brutality continued through Tuesday, one day after President Trump warned he would dispatch troops to restore order in states that don’t stamp out the demonstrations. A growing number of cities have enacted curfews, and several pushed the curfews to as early as 2 p.m., seeking to prevent further clashes between police and protesters. The protests are mostly peaceful, although some took a turn on Monday night after law enforcement officials used pepper spray, tear gas, and rubber bullets to disperse crowds. Trump on Monday told governors during a phone call that they should use force to “dominate” protesters. Demonstrations began after George Floyd, an unarmed black man, died in police custody in Minneapolis last week.  Source: NPR

 

 

The annual Tiananmen Square massacre vigil in Hong Kong is banned for the first time since 1990 citing health concerns due to COVID-19. The Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, who organize the vigil, say the ban signals the end of Hong Kong’s “one country, two systems”. (BBC)

The World Health Organization reports six new cases of ebola, and UNICEF reports five deaths, in a renewed outbreak of the disease in Mbandaka, Équateur Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. (CNN)

An active duty military police battalion of 200 to 250 troops are deployed in the U.S. capital Washington, D.C. to provide security as protests continue. Defense officials say the troops are from Fort Bragg in North Carolina. (CNN)

 

The End