5 things to know for June 3: Protests, coronavirus, elections, Israel, RNC

Today is Global Running Day, and like so many events in 2020, it’s gone completely virtual. Well, except for the actual running part.

Here’s what you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day.

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1. George Floyd protests

The eighth night of protests over the death of George Floyd saw less widespread violence and fewer clashes between police and protesters. Unprecedented curfews were still in place in major US cities, but thousands of people peacefully defied them, demonstrating late into the night. However, consequences from days of violent clashes are still being parsed out. Australia’s Prime Minister has called for an investigation after two of the country’s journalists were attacked Monday by police during a protest in Washington. And Facebook said it has shut down pages and accounts associated with a far-right group whose members were discussing bringing weapons to protests. Twitter made a similar move earlier in the week when it removed an account of a white supremacist group posing as Antifa activists.

2. Coronavirus 

There’s more hopeful news in the quest for a coronavirus vaccine. Dr. Anthony Fauci says the US should have 100 million doses of one Covid-19 vaccine by the end of the year. The first viable vaccine candidate, made by biotech company Moderna, should go into the final stage of trials by mid-summer. This final stage will involve about 30,000 people between the ages of 18 and 55, as well as elderly patients and people who have underlying health conditions. Meanwhile, US Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams is warning that the ongoing protests could contribute to the nation’s next spike in coronavirus cases.

3. Election 2020

Several states held primary elections yesterday, resulting in some notable down-ballot decisions. CNN projects that nine-term Congressman Steve King will lose his Republican primary in Iowa. King was ostracized in Washington and stripped of his committee assignments after questioning how “white nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization” became offensive. In Ferguson, Missouri, where the death of black teen Michael Brown set off weeks of nationwide outrage in 2014, voters elected their first black mayor. Ella Jones, who’s worked as a chemist and church pastor, is also the first woman to hold that office. She has served on the Ferguson city council since 2015, when she was elected as its first African American member.

4. Israel

Israel’s Defense Minister Benny Gantz has told the army to step up preparations in parts of the West Bank, which could be a sign that the Israeli government will make an announcement on annexation in the next few weeks. Gantz’s request to “accelerate preparations” is widely understood as a warning to prepare for possible widespread violence by Palestinians if Israel moves to annex some of the occupied territory. Such a move would fulfill a longtime campaign promise by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to extend the reach of Israeli sovereignty into parts of the West Bank, land captured by Israel in 1967.

5. Republican National Convention

The Republican National Convention will not happen as envisioned in Charlotte, North Carolina. That’s the word from GOP officials who say President Trump is following through on his threat to pull key parts of the convention from the state over Gov. Roy Cooper’s refusal to budge on coronavirus precautions. Because of contractual agreements, the Republican National Committee still needs to hold some part of the convention there. But the most visible aspects, like the President’s speech, will now likely be held elsewhere. RNC officials are considering Nashville, Las Vegas, Orlando, Jacksonville and various venues in Georgia to host their August convention if the deal with Charlotte does, in fact, fall through.

BREAKFAST BROWSE

The pandemic is causing a boom in bike sales 

Anything to get outside and away from other people as quickly as possible.

Zoom’s revenue has soared as people flock to the video platform during social distancing

Accidentally interrupting someone on a Zoom chat, only to have both parties pause for several awkward seconds and then speak again at the exact same time has become a national pastime.

Same-sex weddings have boosted the economy by $3.8 billion since gay marriage was legalized five years ago 

Here’s to all Pride brides (and grooms).

A 110 million-year-old dinosaur’s stomach contents were remarkably preserved 

And now after all these eons, everyone knows it was a picky eater.

THIS JUST IN

Cyclone Nisarga threatens vulnerable parts of India

More than 100,000 people have been evacuated from low-lying coastal areas in India’s western states ahead of the landfall today of Cyclone Nisarga. About 1,000 coronavirus patients are among the evacuees.

TODAY’S NUMBER

36%

That’s the proportion of black Americans who trust the police, according to a new poll from Axios-Ipsos. The same poll found 77% of white Americans, and 69% of Americans overall, have trust in the police.

TODAY’S QUOTE

“Our fellow citizens are not the enemy, and must never become so.”

Retired Adm. Mike Mullen, a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, who rebuked President Trump’s threat to use the military on protesters in an op-ed published in The Atlantic.

TODAY’S WEATHER

Check your local forecast here>>>

AND FINALLY

This man can draw entire detailed cityscapes — from memory 

Some people’s minds — and the art they produce — are truly incredible. (Click here to view.)