5 things to know for June 22: Coronavirus, Trump, NASCAR, Putin, statue removal
Sunrises and sunsets will look especially stunning this week thanks to the Saharan dust plume making the 5,000-mile trek across the Atlantic to the US.
Here’s what you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day.
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1. Coronavirus
It might feel like things are going back to normal, but the first wave of coronavirus isn’t over. Nearly half of US states are reporting a rise in new cases and some continue to break daily records. And in the South, more young people are testing positive for the virus. Yes, there’s more testing, but health officials say the rise in cases has more to do with behavior, i.e. not wearing masks and attending large gatherings. Elsewhere in the world, the coronavirus threat remains. More than 7,000 Brazilians died of the virus in one week, and cases in Latin America have surpassed two million. Meanwhile, China and Germany have renewed lockdown measures in some areas as new clusters of cases emerge.
2. Trump
Things are tense in the White House after the President’s disappointing campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, over the weekend, which went on despite the coronavirus pandemic. Six staffers working in Tulsa tested positive for the virus before Trump arrived. And the turnout was much smaller than expected. Campaign officials said that more than one million people registered for the event. In reality, fewer than 6,200 people showed up. Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump are reportedly “pissed” at a Trump campaign manager, a source told CNN. The events of the weekend again raised concerns among some Republicans in the campaign that the reelection team hasn’t adapted quickly enough to the shifting political landscape ahead of November.
3. NASCAR
A noose was found in NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace’s garage stall on Sunday ahead of a scheduled race in Talledega, Alabama, the organization said. Wallace is the only Black driver in NASCAR’s top circuit, and has been outspoken about the Black Lives Matter movement and systemic racism. He also called on NASCAR to ban the Confederate flag, which they did on June 10. Wallace said he was “incredibly saddened” by the noose incident, calling it a reminder of how much progress has yet to be made. NASCAR said it had launched an internal investigation into the act. By the way, the race got pushed to Monday at 3 p.m. ET, due to weather.
4. Putin
Russia’s President has hinted strongly in a new interview that he will run again, if a series of constitutional amendments allowing him to do so are approved in a July 1 referendum. Under Russia’s current law, Putin would be required to step down as President in 2024, when his term in office comes to an end. The amendments would pave the way for him to remain in power after his term ends, potentially until 2036. Constitutional changes were already been approved by lawmakers, and by Russia’s supreme court.
5. Statue removal
The latest problematic monument to come down is a statue of Theodore Roosevelt in front of New York’s Museum of Natural History. Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the move after the museum had requested that it be removed. The statue features the nation’s 26th President on a horse with a Native American man standing on one side and an African man standing on the other. While it was meant to celebrate Roosevelt as a “devoted naturalist and author of works on natural history,” it also “communicates a racial hierarchy that the museum and members of the public have long found disturbing,” the museum said. The announcement comes as several states grapple with how to handle removals of confederate monuments and other controversial statues.
BREAKFAST BROWSE
People are talking about these. Read up. Join in.
A Georgia college and an alumna are offering full scholarships to Rayshard Brooks’ children
The $600,000 scholarships will cover tuition, meals, room and board.
Rappers have been saying Black lives matter for decades
Hip-hop has BEEN on this.
K-pop fans are being credited with helping disrupt Trump’s rally
About the NBA’s Covid-tracking smart ring …
Best to temper your expectations.
A widow and her late husband donated kidneys to the same man, 16 years apart
What a glimmer of hope in these trying times.
There’s a petition to rename Columbus, Ohio, to ‘Flavortown’
Finally, the respect that Guy Fieri deserves.
TODAY’S NUMBER
15
The percentage of visitors expected in Santorini this year compared to previous years. The coronavirus has been a major blow for Greece’s most visited island.
TODAY’S QUOTE
“I will lay my body across the front of that [courthouse] and they will have to arrest me before they put the statue there.”
Mae Hazelton, who has been fighting for two years to keep a Confederate statue out of her Florida community.
TODAY’S WEATHER
Check your local forecast here>>>
AND FINALLY
Live jazz at this NYC apartment every week
There’s a story behind these smooth sessions. (Click here to view)
