5 things to know for June 25: Coronavirus, Joe Biden, Ahmaud Arbery, Roundup, tariffs
It’s the 70th anniversary of the start of the Korean War. “The Forgotten War” cost millions of lives and left scars that linger to this day.
Here’s what you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day.
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1. Coronavirus
Nearly 180,000 Americans will die from the coronavirus by October 1 unless just about everyone starts wearing masks, new projections show. That expert prediction comes as the US records more than 2.3 million Covid-19 cases — and as the three most populous US states set records for new cases daily. California reported more than 7,000 cases on Tuesday, obliterating a record hit a day earlier. Florida and Texas announced they had recorded more than 5,000 new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday, and one health expert fears major Texas cities could see “apocalyptic” numbers. As cases spike, Disney postponed the reopening of Disneyland, and governors are urging people to wear masks and stay home. The US fatality forecast would drop to 146,000 by October if 95% of Americans masked up in public, a model forecasts.
2. Joe Biden
The presidential election is still more than four months out, but polls out of Wisconsin and Ohio bring some good news for the Democratic nominee. A Marquette University poll from Wisconsin has former Vice President Joe Biden leading President Trump, 49% to 41%. In Ohio, where Trump beat Hillary Clinton by 8 points in 2016, a Quinnipiac University poll shows a tied race. Trump’s job approval has ticked down slightly, with many Americans disapproving of how he has handled recent protests over police brutality and the coronavirus pandemic. As the President seizes on divisive culture wars and race-baiting rhetoric to fire up his base, a number of top Republicans told CNN that he needs to change course quickly.
3. Ahmaud Arbery
The three men accused in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man, were indicted by a grand jury. Travis McMichael; his father, Greg McMichael; and William R. Bryan were indicted yesterday on malice and felony murder charges, a district attorney said. The charges also include aggravated assault, false imprisonment and criminal attempt to commit false imprisonment. Arbery was jogging in February outside Brunswick, Georgia, when the McMichaels chased him, authorities said. Investigators also said they believe Bryan, who made a video recording of the shooting, used his vehicle to try to “confine and detain” Arbery in the minutes leading to his death. Gregory McMichael’s legal team said he was a victim of a rush to judgment, and Travis McMichael’s lawyer said he is not guilty. Bryan’s attorney has said his client was only a witness.
4. Roundup
The company behind Roundup weed killer is settling most of its current and future litigation for more than $10 billion after thousands of lawsuits from cancer patients or their estates. Bayer, the German-based company that acquired agrochemical giant Monsanto in 2018, said settlements in the US would bring about 75% of current claims to a close. The move comes after years of lawsuits from cancer patients who claimed Roundup caused non-Hodgkin lymphoma and that Monsanto failed to adequately warn consumers of the risk. Bayer said the settlement agreements “contain no admission of liability or wrongdoing.”
5. Tariffs
Now might be a good time to stock up on European chocolates, olives and beer. Those items are among 30 products that could be hit with steep tariffs as part of a longstanding US-European dispute over government subsidies to aircraft makers. The US already levied 15% to 25% tariffs on $7.5 billion worth of other European goods as part of this dispute. The new items could be hit with tariffs of as much as 100%, according to the notice. The World Trade Organization has previously sided with the US in the dispute, concluding in 2018 that the European Union helped Airbus with unfair subsidies that hurt sales of US-based Boeing’s wide-body jets. Though that opened the way for the US to slap tariffs on European goods, the EU says it’s possible this latest round goes beyond what is allowed by the WTO.
BREAKFAST BROWSE
Pet poultry cause 465 people to fall sick
Social distancing now also applies to your chickens.
Washington Redskins will remove their founder’s name from the team’s Ring of Fame
But the team name still remains.
3 ‘Scrubs’ episodes removed from Hulu over use of blackface
An all-too-familiar story line …
NASA will name its headquarters after Mary W. Jackson, the agency’s first African American female engineer
Jackson helped inspire the story behind the book and film “Hidden Figures.”
Augie the dog celebrated her 20th birthday this week, making her the oldest golden retriever in history
TODAY’S NUMBER
6,000
The number of jobs that Qantas is cutting as the airline fights to survive the coronavirus pandemic.
TODAY’S QUOTE
“The damage from that cannot be undone. That photograph is out there forever. This was a humiliating experience for her.”
Khurrum Wahid, lawyer for Alaa Massri, an 18-year-old Muslim woman who was arrested at a Black Lives Matter protest this month. She says her hijab was forcibly removed from her head for a booking photo.
TODAY’S WEATHER
Check your local forecast here>>>
AND FINALLY
A theme park of miniatures
Maybe you can’t go to France right now. But you can tour mini France. (Click here to view.)
