5 things to know for June 10: Police reform, Trump, election, coronavirus, Nigeria

The Nasdaq topped 10,000 for the first time ever, proving that during this period of economic uncertainty, America still has faith in tech stocks like Apple, Facebook, Amazon and Netflix.

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1. Police reform

Senate Republicans are also now working on legislation to address police reform, one of many nationwide changes mobilized by ongoing protests over racism and police brutality. A task force led by the Senate’s sole black Republican member, Tim Scott, sent GOP offices a draft of a proposed “Justice Act” focused on issues of reporting, accountability, training and community relations. It’s a big turnaround for the Senate, which not long ago was dismissive of acting on the issue. Democrats have unveiled their own proposal, which goes further in dictating specific changes, including banning chokeholds. Officials in states including New York, Florida and California already have moved to ban the use of neck restraints by police.

2. White House

President Trump is facing outrage after he tweeted a conspiracy theory about an elderly man pushed to the ground by police during a protest in Buffalo, New York. The President tweeted that Martin Gugino, 75, a longtime activist and peaceful protester, may have been part of a setup staged by Antifa members. Video of the incident shows Gugino get pushed by officers, fall backward and hit his head. He is still hospitalized. Two officers have been suspended while an investigation is underway, and 57 more have resigned from the police unit. Many GOP leaders have dodged questions about the President’s claim, telling CNN they either didn’t see it or didn’t want to comment.

3. Election 2020

Several states held primary elections yesterday, and there were so many voting issues in Georgia that state officials are now calling for investigations. Voters waited in line for hours, and some precincts extended voting into the night. Election officials chalked the delays up to technical issues and a shortage of poll workers due to the pandemic. The state election board is already investigating the handling of absentee ballots in Atlanta’s Fulton County. Some voters worried that the problems might be an ominous preview of what could happen in November’s general election. Meanwhile, groups across the country are reporting growing voter registration numbers amid recent surges of activism. Other voter-oriented groups are seeing a rise in volunteer support and donations.

4. Coronavirus

At least 28 states are not following CDC guidelines for coronavirus reporting, which could make it hard for health experts and lawmakers to decide what to do next. The states are not reporting probable cases, which include people who show evidence of an infection without the confirmation of a lab test. Accurate rates of new cases help officials track how the disease is spreading and inform decisions about how and when to loosen restrictions. These fuzzy reporting numbers come as 19 states are seeing increases in their coronavirus cases. In Arizona, things have gotten so bad again that the state has told its hospitals to activate emergency plans. More than 1.9 million people have been infected by the virus in the US, and more than 112,000 have died.

5. Nigeria

Protesters in Nigeria are taking to the streets to demand urgent action to combat rape and sexual violence. A march in the capital of Lagos featured a coalition of rights groups that urged the government to declare a state of emergency to address the problem. The violent rape and murder of two young women recently has renewed attention to this old problem. One in four girls in Nigeria has experienced some form of sexual violence, according to UNICEF. And Amnesty International says femicide and rape cases go underreported in the country, allowing perpetrators to go unpunished.

BREAKFAST BROWSE

A woman asked the Merriam-Webster people to update their definition of ‘racism.’ They listened

That’s how language evolves, after all!

Here’s the difference between pre-symptomatic and asymptomatic coronavirus spread — and whether it matters

Since everything we know about the virus is shifting, we’d better keep up.

Considering a big move? Here are the most expensive world cities for expats in 2020

If you guess the top three, we’ll be impressed.

A UK museum is reimagining its famous paintings with face masks

Art imitates life, and all of that.

Americans are drinking a LOT during the pandemic

And their refreshments of choice? Budget beer and hard seltzer.

TODAY’S NUMBER

1 billion

That’s how many calls a health insurance telemarketing group called Rising Eagle allegedly made in the first half of 2019, in violation of Federal Communications Commission rules. The US government is seeking fines of up to a record-breaking $225 million.

TODAY’S QUOTE

“Ebola was scary, but Ebola would never be easily transmitted … HIV, as important as it is, was drawn out and over an extended period of time … Now, we have something that turned out to be my worst nightmare.”

Dr. Anthony Fauci, who said the coronavirus is in many ways worse than other major global health threats

TODAY’S WEATHER

Check your local forecast here>>>

AND FINALLY

My, what a tall piano you have

Explore the unusual creations of this master piano maker. (Click here to view.)