Newly released transcripts of the body camera footage of George Floyd’s death showed that he told police he couldn’t breathe more than 20 times in the 8 minutes and 46 seconds an officer knelt on his neck. He was told to “stop talking.” Similar footage in the June 2 police killing of unarmed protester Sean Monterrosa, 22, showed officers shot to kill through a windshield without attempting to investigate or deescalate. The officer identified by media as the shooter has been involved in four police killings since 2015. Meanwhile, a man who allegedly killed a Seattle protester with his car last week has been arrested and charged with vehicular homicide.
In two 7-2 decisions, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that religious convictions can override government mandates. It upheld a Trump administration rule that companies can refuse, on religious grounds, to cover birth control in employee health plans. In another case, it ruled that federal anti-discrimination laws don’t apply to religious organizations. While religious rights groups welcomed the rulings, which saw two liberal justices join the conservative side of the court, women’s health advocates worried that 126,000 Americans could lose birth control coverage. Today the court is expected to rule on three cases involving President Donald Trump’s financial records.
Prime Minister Amadou Gon Coulibaly, known as AGC, was handpicked in March to be the ruling party’s presidential candidate in October’s election. Last week, he returned to the country after two months of medical treatment in France for an unspecified condition. Then yesterday, during a Cabinet meeting, Coulibaly suddenly became unwell, was taken to the hospital and died. There’s no other clear candidate to replace President Alassane Ouattara, in power since 2010, which could throw the election — widely seen as a test of Ivory Coast’s stability — into chaos.
The only one left will be the autopilot. Despite receiving billions from a government bailout, United says it may furlough nearly half its employees when that money runs out Oct. 1. With Americans putting off travel plans (and banned from many countries anyway), the airline industry isn’t expected to recover for years, and many anticipate other airlines will follow United’s move. Meanwhile, passengers on American Airlines have expressed outrage that they’ve been packed into full rows — and prevented by staff from moving to empty ones in order to social distance.
Federal Reserve officials say the U.S. recovery may be stalling. A statue of Melania Trump in her native Slovenia was set on fire on July 4. And Kanye West says that if he’s elected president, he’d be anti-abortion, skeptical of a COVID-19 vaccine and he’d appoint Elon Musk as head of the space program.
Coronavirus update: More than 12 million cases around the world have been confirmed, with the U.S. accounting for about a quarter of those.
Speak up! Do you think theme parks are opening up too soon? Why or why not? Let us know by replying to this email — and we’ll feature the most interesting answer right here next week.
Demonstrations have been going on for several weeks in the wake of George Floyd’s killing. No matter how peaceful your intentions, it’s best to be prepared. That’s why we’ve put together a gift guide of products best suited for protesting safely.
Actress Naya Rivera, 33, rented a boat yesterday with her 4-year-old son Josey on Southern California’s Lake Piru. When they didn’t return, marina staff went looking for them — and found Josey alone in the boat, asleep. The boy, who was wearing a life vest, told investigators that they went swimming but his mother didn’t return to the boat. Police are still searching for Rivera, who rose to fame playing mean cheerleader Santana on Glee, and say the operation will continue “at first light” Thursday.
It could be just what the doctor ordered. The drugstore chain has struck a $1 billion deal with VillageMD to expand a pilot program it tested in Houston last year by opening hundreds of primary care clinics at existing Walgreens stores in 30 U.S. markets. CVS and Walmart are pursuing similar programs in an attempt to capture more of the health care business. Walgreens is now recruiting 3,600 doctors and says it plans to launch as many as 700 such primary care offices, as well as telehealth options, by 2025.
In the 1980s, Brazil’s Landless Workers Movement changed the face of the countryside, with farmers occupying unused estates until the government let them stay. Now that same group is stepping in to help pandemic-stricken Brazil — with the world’s second-highest number of cases — where the state has failed, by distributing tens of thousands of lunches and medical equipment to the needy, OZY reports. Meanwhile, a group of journalists is suing Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro for taking off his mask as he announced to them that he’d tested positive for COVID-19.
“Please scream inside your heart.” That was the advice given on a video demonstrating the coronavirus-era rule set by Japanese theme park associations: No screaming on roller coasters. The time-honored tradition of yelling your head off while going upside down at a million miles an hour spreads droplets — and thus potentially COVID-19. Still, there’s no penalty for breaking the rule. Meanwhile, in the U.S., where no such screaming ban exists, Orlando’s Disney World is expected to reopen this weekend.
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson posted a quote on Instagram, which he attributed to Adolf Hitler, about Jewish plans for world domination. After a backlash, he apologized and deleted the post. But yesterday, former NBA star — and a prominent figure in the protests against the killing of George Floyd — Stephen Jackson went on Instagram Live to defend his fellow athlete, saying “the Jews are the richest” and run “all the banks,” a longstanding anti-Semitic trope. Jackson said he hoped anyone angry about his remarks would be angry “when Black people get murdered on the streets.”
