1 Minneapolis Mayor: Four Officers Fired Following Black Man's Death
Protesters are taking to the streets in Minnesota after the death of a black man in police custody. This, as Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey says four officers have been fired following the death of an unarmed Black man in police custody on Memorial Day. Mayor Frey calls the incident an “unnecessary tragedy.” People watching the arrest of George Floyd and recording it on video agreed...as they’re heard begging the officer to stop pinning Floyd’s with his knee for nearly 10-minutes. About four minutes in, Floyd appears to lose consciousness. He was later pronounced dead at a local hospital. The FBI is now investigating and Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo says he realizes the impact on the community and he will fully cooperate with investigators. Meanwhile, the Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis says in a statement that this is “not the time to rush to judgment.”
2 Study: Brazil On Track For 125K Coronavirus Deaths By August
As the travel ban on Brazil is now in effect, officials say that by August, the death toll from coronavirus in Brazil could soar past 125-thousand. Researchers at the University of Washington predict Brazil will see five-times the amount of deaths it has now, making it the new “hot spot.” Numbers aside, President Jair Bolsonaro refuses to lockdown the country and that's why anyone there is now banned from entering the U.S. unless they’re an American citizen. Meanwhile, the director of the Pan American Health Organization warns Peru and Chile aren't far behind in case numbers as these regions have the highest infection rates per capita over a seven-day average. “Now is not the time for countries to ease restrictions,” says Dr. Carissa Etienne. “Our region has become the epicenter of the Covid-19 pandemic.”
3 Another Watchdog Leaves Trump Admin As Pentagon Deputy Inspector General Resigns
Another watchdog is leaving the Trump administration. This time, it’s Pentagon Deputy Inspector General Glenn Fine, who submitted his resignation today after being removed from his other role by President Trump last month. In that role, Fine oversaw government spending of the two-trillion-dollars in taxpayer dollars that made up the emergency coronavirus funding. The removal of Fine from the watchdog committee is widely seen by critics as a pattern of President Trump resisting accountability measures. "The role of Inspectors General is a strength of our system of government," Fine says in a statement. "They provide independent oversight to help improve government operations in a transparent way. They are a vital component of our system of checks and balances, and I am grateful to have been part of that system.” Fine’s resignation is effective as of June 1st and he’s been replaced in that role by E-P-A member Sean W. O'Donnell.