Evening news highlights
Kari Paul here, closing out for the night! Here are the top stories to keep in mind.
- Secretary of the treasury Steve Mnuchin will meet with the Senate small business committee to discuss more transparency surrounding Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans.
- Donald Trump declared that everything he says in conversation is “classified”, the latest sign he will take legal action against a tell-all book about his administration set to be released this week.
- The United Nations voted on Monday to hold an “urgent debate” on racism and police brutality in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd.
- An investigation by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) concluded Donald Trump violated its scientific integrity policy when he used a marker to alter the route of Hurricane Dorian on a map last September.
- T-Mobile, one of the three largest mobile carriers in the US, said it’s working to fix a widespread “voice and data issue” causing mass outages.
- The Seattle City Council has voted to ban police officers from using chokeholds.
Leading candidates in the 2020 presidential election - Joe Biden and Donald Trump - are essentially neck and neck in the battle state of Iowa.
While Trump decisively won the state in 2016 on his path to the presidency, polling this week found he leads Biden by only 1 percentage point at 44% to 43%.
The polling underscores that amid national turmoil including a surging pandemic and racial tensions Trump may have to put up more of a fight in states initially thought to be stable for his winning.
Trump’s approval in Iowa has fallen in recent months: A March Iowa Poll showed 51% said they would support Trump compared to just 41% who would support Biden.
Hollywood actor Ron Perlman’s sparring with Texas Republican senator Ted Cruz continued into Monday evening, with the Hellboy actor now calling on both Cruz and Republican senator Mitch McConnell to fight him.
Ya know ted, I’ve been giving this some thought- leave @Jim_Jordan home and give me 10 minutes with you and Mitch McConnell. Let’s see what else you muthafuckas can obstruct besides justice. All we need’s a time, place, and a few EMTs standing by. LMK. @tedcruz @senatemajldr
— Ron Perlman (@perlmutations) June 15, 2020
Perlman has pledged $50,000 to charity if Cruz fights him.
Seattle city council votes to ban chokeholds
The Seattle City Council has voted to ban chokeholds. It will next vote on the use of crowd control weapons like tear gas, which have been controversial in response to recent protests.
Breaking: The Seattle City Council just voted unanimously to ban SPD officers from using chokeholds. Now voting on banning the use of crowd control weapons, like tear gas, in the wake of #seattleprotest
— Jake Goldstein-Street (@GoldsteinStreet) June 15, 2020
Updated
Top Trump administration official Andrew Olmem will step down from his role as deputy director of the National Economic Council at the end of this week.
He played a large role in scaling back financial regulation and the returning of mortgage-finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to private hands.
Olmem had joined the National Economic Council in 2017 under then-director Gary Cohn. He had planned to step down earlier but stayed on to help with the economic response to the new coronavirus pandemic.
T-Mobile, one of the three largest mobile carriers in the US, said it’s working to fix a widespread “voice and data issue” causing mass outages.
The scope of the outage wasn’t clear, but Ray said it has affected customers around the country. T-Mobile representatives did not reply to further questions.
People on Twitter complained that calls were not going through. The Redmond, Washington, police department tweeted that T-Mobile customers should have “an alternate plan in place in the event you need to call 911.”
AT&T and Verizon both said their networks were operating normally. But calls between their customers and T-Mobile customers could have problems because of T-Mobile’s issues.
The Federal Communications Commission, which oversees voice and data networks, said its public-safety bureau is looking into the problem.
T-Mobile paid a $17.5 million fine for two nationwide service outages on the same day in August 2014, which together lasted three hours and prevented customers from being able to call 911.
Updated
An investigation by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) concluded Donald Trump violated its scientific integrity policy when he used a marker to alter the route of Hurricane Dorian on a map last September.
The incident, which became known as ‘Sharpiegate’ intensified when the Trump administration ordered National Weather Service scientists not to contradict the president’s misinformation.
The NOAA report concluded the scientific integrity policy was violated, but nobody in the administration faced consequences said Andrew Rosenberg of the Union of Concerned Scientists, who co-filed a scientific integrity complaint with other former NOAA leaders. This shows a “disappointing lack of accountability”, he said.
“We need to hear from our experts, especially in times of emergency – hurricanes, other severe weather, pandemics like COVID-19, and many other situations,” he said. “If there are no consequences for corrupting the ability of the experts to speak out then there is little reason to think it won’t happen again.”
UN to hold 'urgent debate' on racism and police brutality
The United Nations voted on Monday to hold an “urgent debate” on racism and police brutality in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd.
The debate on “the current racially inspired human rights violations, systemic racism, police brutality and the violence against peaceful protests” was proposed by a group of 54 African countries, headed by Burkina Faso, and is scheduled for Wednesday.
Burkina Faso permanent representative Désiré Sougouri told the council on Monday that “the death of George Floyd, unfortunately, is not an isolated incident.”
“After the widespread indignation over this situation it would be inconceivable that the Human Rights Council not deal with these questions, which are very relevant in accordance with its mandate,” he said in the statement on behalf of the countries proposing the vote.
The debate on racism and police brutality will be livestreamed on the U.N.’s website.
Updated
Reuters White House correspondent Jeff Mason tweeted on Monday that Donald Trump declared that everything he says in conversation is “classified”.
The comment is in relation to a book by former National Security Advisor John Bolton detailing life in the Trump administration that is set to go on sale in a week.
The book, called “The Room Where It Happened,” is said to detail a number of transgressions by Trump, including potentially impeachable offenses.
“What Bolton saw astonished him: a President for whom getting reelected was the only thing that mattered, even if it meant endangering or weakening the nation”, a description of the book reads.
Trump claims publishing the book means Bolton will have broken the law. The Trump administration is expected to seek an injunction in the next few days to prevent the book from being published.
Secretary of the treasury Steve Mnuchin tweeted on Monday he would be meeting with the Senate small business committee to discuss privacy issues related to Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans.
PPP loans are meant to support businesses affected by coronavirus and were passed as part of the $2.2 trillion coronavirus relief package, known as the CARES Act, signed by Donald Trump on March 27
Mnuchin said he would seek “a balance for proper oversight” and “appropriate protection of small business information” after Democrats criticized him for implying he wouldn’t release the names of who received government assistance through the program.
Leaders said releasing names is important for transparency, as many have expressed concerns that large companies have received PPP loans to the detriment of small businesses.
“The American people expect full transparency to ensure that the CARES Act’s historic investment of their taxpayer money is used wisely and effectively to save lives and livelihoods, not to be used by profiteers and price-gougers,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said in a statement Friday.
Hello, readers! Kari Paul here in San Francisco logging on for the next few hours. Stay tuned for more news.
Today so far
That’s it from me today. My west coast colleague, Kari Paul, will take over for the next few hours.
Here’s where the day stands so far:
- The Supreme Court ruled existing federal law prohibits job discrimination against gay and transgender workers. In a 6-3 opinion written by conservative justice Neil Gorsuch, the court said Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which forbids job discrimination on the basis of sex and other factors, also covers sexual orientation and gender identity.
- Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said she would enact a series of police reforms in response to the killing of Rayshard Brooks. Bottoms announced she would sign a series of administrative orders aimed at examining policies on officers’ use of force and requiring de-escalation in police encounters.
- Brooks’ family held a press conference in Atlanata. Brooks’ relatives thanked those who have protested since he was shot and killed by a white police officer, and they asked protesters to ensure the demonstrations remain peaceful.
- Trump plans to sign an executive order on policing tomorrow. The order is expected to call for the creation of a national database to track instances of excessive force among police officers, but the order was described as much more moderare than what many activists have proposed to crack down on police brutality.
- The NYPD is disbanding its plainclothes anti-crime units, the department’s commissioner announced today. Roughly 600 NYPD officers will be affected by the move, and they will transition to other tasks, including detective work and neighborhood policing.
Kari will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
Bottoms to enact police reforms after Brooks killing
Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said she is enacting a series of police reforms in response to the death of Rayshard Brooks, who was shot and killed by a white police officer on Friday.
NEW: Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms says she is signing a series of administrative orders calling on police to implement reforms concerning use-of-force policies: "It is clear that we do not have another day, another minute, another hour to waste." https://t.co/CGtcyDKQZz pic.twitter.com/kml2dc5bKW
— ABC News (@ABC) June 15, 2020
Bottoms said a policing task force that met for the first time last week would continue its work to offer recommendations on reforms, but she said Brooks’ killing demonstrated reforms were needed immediately.
“It is clear that we do not have another day, another minute, another hour to waste,” Bottoms said at a press conference.
Bottoms announced she would sign a series of administrative orders aimed at examining the department’s policies on the use of force and requiring de-escalation in police encounters.
NYPD to disband plainclothes anti-crime units
NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea has just announced the department is disbanding its plainclothes anti-crime units, the latest in a series of police reforms in New York.
Roughly 600 NYPD officers will be affected by the move, and they will transition to other tasks, including detective work and neighborhood policing.
“Thoughtful discussions about reform have emerged” since the start of the George Floyd protests, Shea said at a press conference. “We welcome reform, but we also believe that meaningful reform starts from within.”
The announcement comes three days after New York governor Andrew Cuomo signed police reform legislation criminalizing chokeholds and repealing 50-A, a law that shielded police disciplinary records from the public.
Trump plans to sign policing executive order tomorrow
Trump confirmed he plans to sign his executive order on policing tomorrow, saying the order would be “very comprehensive,” according to the White House pool report.
When asked about congressional efforts to address police reform, Trump said, “Maybe they can get something passed, maybe they can’t.“
House Democrats have said they have enough co-sponsors to get their police reform bill approved, but it’s unclear if it can pass the Senate or if Trump would sign it.
According to reports, the executive order is expected to call for creating a national registry to track instances of excessive force among police officers, but the reforms outlined appeared to be very moderate compared to what many activists are calling for.
Trump addressed coronavirus testing moments ago, during a White House roundtable on protecting America’s seniors.
“If we stop testing right now, we’d have very few cases, if any,” the president said, according to a White House pool report.
The comment struck many as odd, considering public health experts have repeatedly said expanding testing capacity is vital for safely reopening the economy.
Our testing is so much bigger and more advanced than any other country (we have done a great job on this!) that it shows more cases. Without testing, or weak testing, we would be showing almost no cases. Testing is a double edged sword - Makes us look bad, but good to have!!!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 15, 2020
Trump made a similar claim in a tweet this morning, saying testing was a “double edged sword” because it resulted in a higher number of confirmed cases.
However, public health experts have said the recent surges in coronavirus cases in more than a dozen states is not a result of increased testing, but rather a result of those states’ reopening efforts.
The president is currently holding a roundtable on protecting America’s seniors, who are more likely to become seriously ill from coronavirus.
Trump announced he is creating a $2 million grant at the department of justice aimed at cracking down on scams targeting seniors.
The president also said that all nursing homes would now be required to report coronavirus cases directly to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“We have to keep all of our seniors safe,” Trump said. “This is a very perilous time.”
The roundtable comes as Trump’s polling numbers among older Americans decline amid widespread criticism of his administration’s response to the pandemic.
The president also made a curious comment about coronavirus testing. “If we stop testing right now, we’d have very few cases, if any,” Trump said.
Of course, public health experts have said expanding testing capacity and tracing those who have tested positive are key requirements for a safe reopening.
Updated
Trump’s forthcoming executive order will establish a database to track instances of excessive force among police officers, according to CNN. The president is expected to sign the order tomorrow.
CNN reports:
The executive order is still being finalized, but the key provisions in the current draft of the executive order include modest directives with broad-based support intended to encourage higher standards among police departments while leaving the prospect of more significant police reform to Congress.
A source briefed on the text of the order said it is relatively muted when it comes to sweeping police reforms that have been discussed by members of both parties recently. The order mainly leans on lawmakers to do the heavy lifting, as the President has privately expressed caution about alienating police officers by going too far. ...
The executive order is also expected to direct the secretary of Health and Human Services to encourage police departments to embed mental health professionals in their response to calls related to mental health, homelessness and addiction as well as to find resources to help police departments hire mental health co-responders, the source said.
House Democrats plan to pass their sweeping police reform bill later this month, but it’s unclear if that legislation can pass the Senate or if Trump would be willing to sign it.
Demands to remove Confederate statues from the Capitol are now making their way into the 2020 elections, with one Mississippi Senate candidate calling for the statues representing the state to be changed.
Democrat Mike Espy said Mississippi’s statues of Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederacy, and JZ George, a Confederate colonel, should be replaced.
Espy invited his supporters to take a survey on who should instead be represented in the state’s statues.
Guess which statues stand in the U.S. Capitol for Mississippi? Jefferson Davis and JZ George.
— Mike Espy (@MikeEspyMS) June 15, 2020
Today I'm calling to replace these old symbols of hate, and the people ought to have a say. Take my survey: Who should replace Mississippi's confederate statues?https://t.co/Im5Edt3jr5
House speaker Nancy Pelosi sent a letter last week calling for the 11 Confederate statues still in the Capitol to be removed.
But the Democratic speaker said she had limited authority in removing the statues and suggested a piece of legislation may be introduced in the future to address both the Capitol statues and the army bases named after Confederate generals.
The president is expected to sign his executive order on policing tomorrow, according to multiplle reports.
Asked about the timing of the executive order moments ago, senior White House adviser Kellyanne Conway declined to say when specifically the order would be released.
Conway simply said Trump was “working around the clock” to get the issue addressed. Another senior adviser previously said that the order would look at ways to “bring community and police together.”
House Democrats have unveiled their own sweeping police reform bill, and Democratic leaderss have said they already have enough co-sponors to pass the bill, although it’s unclear if it can pass the Senate.
Meanwhile, Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell has tapped Tim Scott, the only black Republican senator, to lead a group working to craft their own bill.
Joe Biden raised $80.8 million last month, as protests spread across the country in response to the police killing of George Floyd and Trump’s approval rating dropped by double digits.
Biden announced in an email to supporters that his campaign and two committees associated with the Democrats saw a surge in online donations last month.
According to the email, the number of Biden’s online donors has more than tripled since February, and more than half of last month’s donors were first-time contributors. The average donation to the campaign was $30.
“I’m in awe of this sum of money,” Biden told his supporters. “Just a few months ago, people were ready to write this campaign off. Now, we are making huge dents in Donald Trump’s warchest. Every single dollar is going to make sure he is only a one-term president.”
Trump has built an impressive fundraising operation powered by small-dollar donors, and campaign manager Brad Parscale said yesterday was the team’s single best online fundraising day yet, with the campaign bringing in $14 million on the president’s birthday.
Quite a birthday gift for @realDonaldTrump yesterday!
— Brad Parscale (@parscale) June 15, 2020
Biggest single-day ONLINE fundraising total ever - $14 million.
That’s grassroots support that Sleepy @JoeBiden can only dream of.
The enthusiasm gap is real and it is wide!#MakeAmericaGreatAgain!https://t.co/WRhOrNzOmD
Hollywood actor Ron Perlman has challenged the Texas Republican senator Ted Cruz to a wrestling match, offering to donate $50,000 to Black Lives Matter to mark the occasion.
Perlman, the star of Hellboy, The Name of the Rose, Sons of Anarchy and other hits, made the offer early on Monday morning, as part of what started as an unlikely online spat with the Republican Florida congressman Matt Gaetz.
Perlman and Gaetz were arguing about US Soccer’s George Floyd-protest-inspired decision to repeal a rule requiring its teams to stand for the national anthem, which earned Gaetz’s ire and subsequently that of Donald Trump.
Told by Gaetz to “leave the tough guy comments for those of us who face the voters”, Perlman tweeted a picture of the Ohio congressman Jim Jordan, a former wrestling coach, and said: “You’re lucky for this guy Matt. If it weren’t for him you’d be the ugliest politician walking.”
Perlman’s jibe at Jordan prompted Cruz to wade in, writing: “Listen Hellboy. You talk good game when you’ve got Hollywood makeup and stuntmen. But I’ll bet $10k – to the nonpolitical charity of your choice – that you couldn’t last five minutes in the wrestling ring with Jim Jordan without getting pinned. You up for it? Or does your publicist say too risky?”
Perlman replied by suggesting he and Cruz fight instead, saying he would “give 50k to Black Lives Matter and you can keep all the taxpayer money you were thinking of spending.”
Today so far
Here’s where the day stands so far:
- The Supreme Court ruled existing federal law prohibits job discrimination against gay and transgender workers. In a 6-3 opinion written by conservative justice Neil Gorsuch, the court said Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which forbids job discrimination on the basis of sex and other factors, also covers sexual orientation and gender identity.
- The family of Rayshard Brooks held a press conference in Atlanata. Brooks’ relatives thanked those who have protested since he was shot and killed by a white police officer, and they asked protesters to ensure the demonstrations remain peaceful.
- Trump is facing more calls to cancel his planned Saturday rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Officials in Oklahoma have expressed concern about holding the large indoor rally while the coronavirus pandemic is still raging, but the president has shown no indication he will cancel the event.
The blog will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
In some coronavirus news, the Food and Drug Administration has withdrawn its emergency use authorizations for chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine as potential treatements against the virus.
The FDA’s chief scientist Denise M. Hinton said “the drug’s potential benefits for such use do not outweigh its known and potential risks” in a letter to Gary Disbrow, the acting director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, who requested the change.
Hinton said the anti-malaria drugs, which Trump previously touted as a potential “game-changer” in the fight against coronavirus, were “unlikely to produce an antiviral effect.”
Trump took hydroxychloroquine for two weeks as a prophylactic measure, despite FDA guidance to the contrary and concerns that the drug could cause complications for the 74-year-old president.
An adviser to Trump said the president is looking to sign an executive order on policing and “co-responders” this week.
Ja’Ron Smith, deputy assistant to the president, said the order would look at ways to “bring community and police together” after the police killings of George Floyd and Rayshard Brooks sparked protests across the country.
President @realDonaldTrump's upcoming executive order will focus on solidifying the relationship between law enforcement and citizens—and delivering resources that promote safe, peaceful communities. pic.twitter.com/aaMoaogYfy
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 15, 2020
Smith told Fox News that the order would specifically look at the role of “co-responders.” “Co-responders would allow for police to do their job but bring in social workers and experts that deal with mental health and deal with issues such as drug addiction,” Smith said.
“There’s a better way to do policing, and we have great examples,” he added. Smith cited the example of Camden, New Jersey, which disbanded its police department in 2013 and reenvisioned it through progressive reforms.
Rayshard Brooks’ widow, Tomika Miller, thanked those who have protested the police killing of her husband and asked that the demonstrations remain peaceful.
“His name will forever be remembered,” Miller said. She added, “There is no justice that can ever make me feel happy about what’s been done.”
Miller asked demonstrators to “keep it as a peaceful protest” in order to “keep [Brooks’] name positive.”
The family also announced that producer Tyler Perry, who has a large film studio in Atlanta, will be covering the cost of Brooks’ funeral.
L Chris Stewart, an attorney for the family of Rayshard Brooks, criticized police officers for firing their weapons in a crowded Wendy’s parking lot.
Stewart said another man had sent a photo of his car, which was in the parking lot and was hit by a bullet when a white police officer shot at Brooks as he ran away.
Stewart said the police officer could have caused another death if the bullet landed just a few inches higher than it did.
Brooks' family holds press conference
The family of Rayshard Brooks is holding a press conference in Atlanta, Georgia, after Brooks was shot and killed by a white police officer.
Brooks’ cousin said the trust between the Atlanta community and its police department had been “broken” and called for the officer involved to be convicted.
The press conference comes one day after a medical examiner concluded that Brooks died by homicide caused by gunshot wounds to the back.
Joe Biden has released a statement celebrating the Supreme Court’s decision on LGBTQ+ workers’ rights, calling it a “momentous step forward for our country.”
“Bfore today, in more than half of states, LGBTQ+ people could get married one day and be fired from their job the next day under state law, simply because of who they are or who they love,” the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee said.
“This landmark 6-3 ruling affirms that LGBTQ+ Americans are entitled to equal rights under the law.”
The former vice president noted the decision came in the middle of Pride Month, which celebrates LGBTQ+ history.
“This decision is another step in our march towards equality for all,” Biden said. “And while we celebrate this victory today, we know that our work is not yet done. As President, I look forward to signing into law the Equality Act, protecting the civil rights of LGBTQ+ Americans, and championing equal rights for all Americans.”
A Black Lives Matter banner has been removed from the US embassy in Seoul, after Trump expressed displeasure about it, according to Bloomberg News.
The U.S. Embassy stands in solidarity with fellow Americans grieving and peacefully protesting to demand positive change. Our #BlackLivesMatter banner shows our support for the fight against racial injustice and police brutality as we strive to be a more inclusive & just society. pic.twitter.com/Y4Thr2MRdw
— U.S. Embassy Seoul (@USEmbassySeoul) June 13, 2020
Bloomberg reports:
[Secretary of state Mike] Pompeo and Trump were both displeased about the banner, the people said. A large, multicolored ‘pride’ banner recognizing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people was also removed on Monday. They were replaced with a banner commemorating the 70th anniversary of the end of the Korean War.
The embassy unveiled the banner on Saturday in support of the George Floyd protests, saying in a tweet that it “stands in solidarity with fellow Americans grieving and peacefully protesting to demand positive change.”
The Supreme Court also rejected the Trump administration’s challenge to California’s “sanctuary law,” marking a defeat for a president who has made immgiration a central focus of his term.
The administration had asked the court to review the law, which limits cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities.
The justices decided not to hear the case, although conservative justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito disagreed with the decision.
Trump has repeatedly criticized California’s law and others like it, accusing state leaders of attempting to circumvent the federal government on immigration.
The six to three verdict is the biggest victory for LGBTQ+ rights since the court upheld marriage equality in 2015.
“Today, we must decide whether an employer can fire someone simply for being homosexual or transgender. The answer is clear. An employer who fires an individual for being homosexual or transgender fires that person for traits or actions it would not have questioned in members of a different sex. Sex plays a necessary and undisguisable role in the decision, exactly what Title VII forbids,” justice Neil Gorsuch wrote.
The three cases the court heard, Altitude Express Inc v Zarda, Bostock v Clayton county, and R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes v. EEOC concerned whether or not a federal ban on sex discrimination forbids employment discrimination against LGBTQ+ workers.
The Harris Funeral Homes case centered on Aimee Stephens, a trans woman fired after her boss claimed it would violate “God’s commands” if he allowed her “to deny [her] sex while acting as a representative of [the] organization.”
Donald Zarda and Gerald Bostock, both gay men, alleged they were fired from their jobs because of their sexual orientation.
The Supreme Court’s ruling marks a defeat for the Trump administration, who had argued against expanding the scope of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The court’s 6-3 decision was interestingly written by Justice Neil Gorsuch, who was nominated by Trump. Chief justice John Roberts and the court’s four liberals joined the decision.
Supreme Court rules civil rights law protects LGBT workers
The Supreme Court has ruled that existing federal law protects gay and transgender employees from job discrimination, marking a victory for LGBT rights advocates.
The justices said Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which forbids job discrimination on the basis of sex and other factors, also covers sexual orientation and gender identity.
The decision comes three days after the Trump administration finalized a rule reversing protections for transgender patients under the Affordable Care Act.
Updated
The gun rights cases represented an opportunity for the conservative-leaning Supreme Court to expand the scope of the Second Amendment.
In declining to hear the cases, the justices leave in place state laws that gun rights activists have argued violate the right to bear arms.
The court has not heard a major gun rights case since 2010, when the justices ruled in McDonald v Chicago that state governments had a limited ability to restrict the right to bear arms.
Justices Clarence Thomas and Brett Kavnaugh argued in their dissent that the court needed to examine the issue in the wake of recent state laws imposing additional restrictions on gun ownership.
“This Court would almost certainly review the constitutionality of a law requiring citizens to establish a justifiable need before exercising their free speech rights,” the pair of conservative justices wrote.
Supreme Court rejects 10 gun rights cases
The Supreme Court has declined to take up 10 cases related to gun rights, which will leave in place lower-court decisions on issues such as owning assault weapons and openly carrying firearms.
Justices Clarence Thomas and Brett Kavanaugh wrote a dissenting opinion on the court’s decision not to hear the appeals.
“The text of the Second Amendment protects ‘the right of the people to keep and bear Arms,’” the two justices wrote.
“Yet, in several jurisdictions throughout the country, law-abiding citizens have been barred from exercising the fundamental right to bear arms because they cannot show that they have a ‘justifiable need’ or ‘good reason’ for doing so. One would think that such an onerous burden on a fundamental right would warrant this Court’s review.”
This is Joan Greve in Washington, taking over for Martin Belam.
A top Army general has banned displays of the Confederate flag on all bases in Korea, according to the military outlet Task & Purpose.
Army General Robert Abrams reportedly said in a memo released early this morning that the Confederate flag “does not represent the values of U.S. Forces assigned to serve in the Republic of Korea.”
“While I acknowledge some might view it as a symbol of regional pride, many others in our force see it as a painful reminder of hate, bigotry, treason, and devaluation of humanity,” Abrams wrote in the memo.
“Regardless of perspective, one thing is clear: it has the power to inflame feelings of racial division. We cannot have that division among us.” Abrams ordered all US commanders in Korea to remove any displays of the Confederate flag.
The memo comes less than a week after Trump said he would “not even consider” renaming military bases named after Confederate generals, which the Pentagon has said it is open to considering.
Mayor Sandy Stimpson of Mobile, Alabama, has confirmed that the History Museum of Mobile has received the statue of Confederate Admiral Raphael Semmes. He says it will be displayed there in a way which places it into “the appropriate historic context”
The statue had stood on the Mobile waterfront for 120 years until taken down on 5 June. The statue of Semmes, who died in 1877, had been erected in in 1900, the year before Alabama ratified a Constitution that established white supremacy in the state by essentially disenfranchising African Americans and poorer white citizens. It was rededicated as recently as 2000 – with a memorial plaque and ceremony featuring Confederate flags; red, white and blue balloons; and a cannon salute.
There may yet be legal ramifications from the move. “I have no doubt that moving the statue from public display was the right thing to do for our community going forward” said Mayor Stimpson on Twitter.
However, Attorney General Steve Marshall had sent a letter to the mayor after the statue’s removal saying the city could be subject to a $25,000 fine for permanently moving the statue, an action that would violate a state law protecting monuments over 40 years old. Marshall’s office has also been pursuing legal actions against the city of Birmingham for removing a confederate monument.
Updated
Renewed calls for Trump to abandon planned rally in Tulsa
Donald Trump’s proposed campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma continues to be dogged by controversy. He’s already shifted the date to avoid a clash with the Juneteenth anniversary - and drawn criticism for a disclaimer that says if you catch coronavirus by going to it, you can’t blame him.
Overnight the Tulsa World paper has come out with a strong editorial urging the president to abandon his plans altogether, saying “We don’t know why he chose Tulsa, but we can’t see any way that his visit will be good for the city.”
The paper says that once the Trump roadshow has left town, it will be local people who will have to deal with any fall-out from violent protests or the risk of an increased coronavirus spread. It goes on to say:
There’s no reason to think a Trump appearance in Tulsa will have any effect on November’s election outcome in Tulsa or Oklahoma. It has already concentrated the world’s attention of the fact that Trump will be rallying in a city that 99 years ago was the site of a bloody race massacre. This is the wrong place for the rally.
The paper is also reporting how locals are preparing to protest the visit.
“What follows him is a spirit of hate,” said Mareo Johnson, pastor at Seeking the Kingdom Ministries and a member of Black Lives Matter in Tulsa who is organising a protest against the Trump visit, because it will increase racial tension in the area around the time of the Juneteenth anniversary.
Johnson said. “Even if he doesn’t have those intentions, that’s what people get from him. With him coming, it will fuel hate in people.”
You can read the editorial in full: Tulsa World - This is the wrong time and Tulsa is the wrong place for the Trump rally
There’s some more detail emerging of the US air force jet that has crashed into the North Sea off the coast of England during a training mission on Monday morning.
UK search and rescue teams have being deployed to try to locate the pilot - whose status is unknown.
The pilot and plane are part of the 48th Fighter Wing stationed at RAF Lakenheath, 25 miles north-east of Cambridge, home to the largest US airforce base in England.
My colleague Dan Sabbagh has more here: US air force jet crashes into North Sea during training mission
The Associated Press are reporting that Lisa Alexander, founder and CEO of LaFace Skincare, has apologised for her role in a video that went viral earlier this week.
The video showed a couple asking James Juanillo whether he lives in a house, before asserting that they know he doesn’t live there, and is therefore breaking the law. Juanillo was stencilling a #BLM message on his own front wall. He says that after the incident, he was visited by a police officer, who recognised him as the owner of the house.
The apology from Alexander came after Birchbox, which distributes beauty products via a subscription service, announced it had cut ties with LaFace Skincare over Alexander’s widely condemned “racist actions” in calling the police over the matter.
“There are not enough words to describe how truly sorry I am for being disrespectful to him last Tuesday when I made the decision to question him about what he was doing in front of his home,” Alexander said in a statement. “I should have minded my own business. When I watch the video I am shocked and sad that I behaved the way I did.”
Juanillo said on Sunday that he would be open to talking with Alexander, who has said she wishes to apologise in person . He said in the last several days neighbours have left flowers and notes expressing support, with many adding further chalk art to the retaining wall and sidewalk.
“For me this experience has left me feeling vindicated and validated. I imagine that she regrets those couple of minutes,” he said. “Do I believe that her life should be destroyed over this? No. I just hope that she realises that what she did was racist and she can improve from this incident.”
It hasn’t just been the high profile shooting of Rayshard Brooks that has outraged the community in the US, but also the way that police forces across the country have in general been dealing violently with protesters in the last couple of weeks.
Hallie Golden has been reporting for us in Seattle on the outrage sparked by a video clip that went viral, showing a police officer firing mace at a family group that included a 7 year old child.
The boy’s father told the Guardian: “No officer, who’s paid to protect, chose to stand up, break the ranks, go help this child. I just don’t understand how any of them can sleep.”
You can read Hallie’s full report here: Outrage over video showing police macing child at Seattle protest
Chris Stewart, who is the attorney for the family of Rayshard Brooks, has also been on television this morning. He raised the issue of the mentality employed by police officers, saying “You can have all the training in the world but if you aren’t mentally understanding the community you are policing, if you aren’t mentally understanding that the value of someone’s life is more important than them running away from you, then all the training in the world won’t work”
Watch it here:
“It’s more mentality because you can have all the training in the world but if you aren’t mentally understanding the community you’re policing … then all the training in the world won’t work. It’s a mentality issue.” L. Chris Stewart, attorney for family of Rayshard Brooks pic.twitter.com/pjDRIlolr3
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) June 15, 2020
CBS News have just tweeted out a video clip of an interview they have with Tomika Miller, the widow of Rayshard Brooks, who was shot by Atlanta police in what has been declared a homicide by medical examiners.
In the clip, Miller says: “If it was my husband who shot them, he would be in jail. He would be doing a life sentence. They need to be put away.”
Of the incident itself, she said, “Even though everything happened so fast, it wouldn’t take nothing but a split-second for the other officer to say ‘Hey, calm down’. He could have told his partner ‘Calm down’”
You can watch it here:
FIRST ON @CBSNews: Tomika Miller, wife of Rayshard Brooks, who was fatally shot by Atlanta police at a Wendy's, tells us the officers "need to be put away.”
— CBS News (@CBSNews) June 15, 2020
"If it was my husband who shot them, he would be in jail. He would be doing a life sentence."
Ahead on @CBSThisMorning. pic.twitter.com/IqZ6Qiz5Pf
David Sirota has written for us this morning on what he sees as the hypocrisy of Republicans who loudly criticise the “De-fund the police” movement that has swelled in recent weeks following the death of George Floyd - but who routinely de-fund the “police” that are meant to keep people safe in many areas of the economy.
Citing Republican cuts to agencies like the US Chemical Safety Board, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board among others, Sirota says:
Apparently, we’re expected to be horrified by proposals to reduce funding for the militarized police forces that are violently attacking peaceful protesters – but we’re supposed to obediently accept the defunding of the police forces responsible for protecting the population from the wealthy and powerful.
Read it in full here: Republicans are hypocrites. They happily ‘de-funded’ the police we actually need
Thomas Jefferson statue toppled in North Portland
Overnight protesters have torn down a statue of Thomas Jefferson outside a high school that bears his name in North Portland, Oregon.
The school was the starting point for a 1,000 strong Black Lives Matter protest on Sunday evening. The statue was still intact at that point, and reports suggest it was pulled down by a smaller group after the main march had departed.
Jefferson was the third president of the US. He owned over 600 enslaved people during his life, and earlier in the day, the statue’s pedestal had been defaced with graffiti identifying Jefferson as a slave owner.
Over the weekend protesters also removed the Pioneer Mother and the Pioneer Man statues outside the Johnson Hall at the University of Oregon campus.
US fighter aircraft reported crashed off coast of UK
There’s a couple of stories that are breaking at the moment - one is that a US Air Force F15C fighter aircraft has crashed off the coast of England near Middlesbrough. The status of the pilot is not yet known.
Welcome to today’s live coverage of US politics and Black Lives Matter protests. Here are some of the key points from yesterday and overnight, and what we can expect to see later on.
- The death of Rayshard Brooks was a homicide caused by gunshot wounds to the back, a medical examiner said, as the US headed into a fourth week of unrest over police violence.
- Democrats call for police reform in wake of Brooks killing. Leading Democrats said on Sunday the killing of an Atlanta man underlined the need for significant change in US law enforcement.
- A Russian court has convicted US citizen Paul Whelan on espionage charges. The former marine and corporate security officer has been sentenced to 16 years in a Russian high-security prison.
The president is back from his weekend golfing trip, during which he claimed that the ‘radical left’ has ‘taken over’ Seattle. He will have lunch with VP Mike Pence before hosting a roundtable at the White House on “Fighting for America’s Seniors”. Mike Pompeo is due to talk to European Union foreign ministers.
Joe Biden is at a fund-raising event - while his potential pick for running mate Sen. Kamala Harris is talking at the National Urban League conference.
You can get in touch with me on martin.belam@theguardian.com - I’ll be here for a couple of hours before handing over to my East coast colleagues.
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