🦸♀️🦸♀️🦸♀️NewsHero | Black leaders cover up Tulsa memorials before Pence visit; White House official resigns over Trump's handling of racial tension; Schumer wants investigation in Berman firing
June 22, 2020 - Issue 122
Welcome to this edition of NewsHero for June 22, 2020.
Black Leaders Cover Up Memorials In Tulsa Ahead Of Potential Pence Visit To Greenwood
Bubba Wallace responds to noose discovery in his NASCAR garage
A woman holds up a sign as she listens to the Rev. Al Sharpton address the crowd at a Juneteenth rally in Tulsa, Okla., Friday (Charlie Riedel/AP)
🦸♀️🦸♀️🦸♀️ - The North Face, for dropping Facebook ads
🦸♀️🦸♀️🦸♀️ - Black Sabbath, for its Black Lives Matter shirt and donations. And for the rock.
🦸♀️🦸♀️🦸♀️ - Bubba Wallace, for pushing the Confederate flag ban and for graciously handling all the BS
🦸♀️🦸♀️🦸♀️ - 6ABC Action News for taking Pence to task
There’s been a lot of talk about Facebook lately as critics say the company is failing to control dangerous hate speech and misinformation, and rights groups even call for major advertisers to boycott the platform. Today’s edition of The Daily, the podcast from The New York Times, is “How Facebook Is Undermining ‘Black Lives Matter,’” while CNN reports that The North Face has become the best-known company yet to commit to an advertising boycott of Facebook.
A report yesterday from The Washington Post says that hours before Vice President Mike Pence was scheduled to visit Tulsa’s historic Greenwood district, Black leaders covered up Black Wall Street memorials in an attempt to prevent Pence from politicizing his appearance. The memorials honor the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.
Mashable reports that “The site of the Black Wall Street Massacre became a place of love and celebration on Saturday night,” as Donald Trump held his campaign kick-off rally in Tulsa. “There was dancing in the streets of the city's Greenwood District as residents joined protesters in embracing hope.”
If you’re familiar with the Black Sabbath record “Master of Reality,” you might appreciate the T-shirt the band is selling that replaces the cover art with “Black Lives Matter.” 100% of proceeds from the shirt go to the BLM movement. Actually, you might appreciate that if you’ve never even heard of Black Sabbath.
Bubba Wallace, NASCAR’s only Black full-time driver, had a noose discovered in his garage stall, prompting a federal investigation. Wallace recently campaigned successfully to get the Confederate flag banned from NASCAR events. Wallace took to Twitter for a heartfelt response.
Recent data shows that a higher percentage of younger people tend to be more open-minded about the benefits of diversity.
Clark Atlanta University is offering the children of Rayshard Brooks a full scholarship to the college, reports CNN. Brooks, 27, was killed earlier this month by an Atlanta police officer. The $600,000 scholarships will cover tuition, meals, and room and board for the four children, the university said in a statement.
When pressed by 6ABC Action News in Philadelphia during a Friday interview, Mike Pence refused to say the phrase “Black Lives Matter,” instead sticking to “All Lives Matter.”
According to Customs and Border Protection data, the Department of Homeland Security used helicopters, airplanes and drones to log at least 270 hours of surveillance over Black Lives Matter protests in 15 cities, reports The New York Times.
Fire Department: Trump Tulsa rally drew 6,200; TikTok trolling likely hurt turnout
White House official resigns over Trump’s handling of racial tensions
(Amy Slanchik - Twitter)
🦸♀️🦸♀️🦸♀️ - Tom Petty’s family for the cease-and-desist to Trump. And TP for the rock.
🦸♀️🦸♀️🦸♀️ - Tulsa’s Fire Department for reporting Trump’s rally attendance, and TikTok users for potentially contributing to the low numbers
🦸♀️🦸♀️🦸♀️ - Mary Elizabeth Taylor, for sticking to her ‘core values and convictions’
🦸♀️🦸♀️ - Petro Poroshenko, for saying something
Tom Petty’s family tweeted a statement regarding Donald Trump’s use of the song “I Won’t Back Down” at his campaign rally Saturday, and even sent the president a cease and desist order.
According to the Fire Department, attendance at Trump’s rally in Tulsa, Okla., numbered 6,200. It seems the president was disappointed by the turnout, reportedly yelling at his aides backstage. Prior to the event, Trump’s campaign manager tweeted that there were “Over 1M ticket requests” for the rally, though perhaps young TikTok users caused a hiccup when they reserved scores of tickets they had no intention of using. Of course, there’s always the possibility supporters were scared off by protesters, at least according to a Trump campaign adviser. Surely worries of spreading the coronavirus were a factor? A poll from Fox News released the day of the rally revealed that most voters think large gatherings like that are a bad idea right now.
Check out “Inside Trump’s Oklahoma Debacle” from Politico and “Trump rally highlights vulnerabilities heading into election” from AP News for a closer look.
Mary Elizabeth Taylor, assistant secretary of state for legislative affairs, is resigning over Donald Trump’s handling of racial tensions across the nation, reports The Washington Post. Taylor, who has served in the Trump administration since its first day, said that the president’s actions “cut sharply against my core values and convictions.”
Former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko denied Sunday that Joe Biden ever approached him about Burisma Holdings, reports Politico.
And in Kentucky election officials are preparing for possible voting troubles Tuesday as turnout is expected to be higher than in past primaries.
Human Rights Watch: EU Must Work To End Beijing’s Systemic Human Rights Violations
S. Korea dealing with COVID-19 spike, propaganda threats from N. Korea
Demonstrators watch a fireworks display across Victoria Harbor during a New Year's Eve countdown event in the Tsim Sha Tsui district of Hong Kong, China, on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. (Justin Chin/Bloomberg)
🦸♀️🦸♀️🦸♀️ - Human Rights Watch
🦸♀️🦸♀️🦸♀️ - Hong Kong officials saying the new security law is a frighteningly bad idea
🦸♀️🦸♀️🦸♀️ - S. Korea, for tackling the coronavirus, and for dealing with BS from N. Korea
Human Rights Watch is calling on the European Union to use the EU-China summit to push for an end to Beijing’s systemic human rights violations. The 22nd EU-China summit was scheduled to be held virtually today, June 22.
Senior Hong Kong lawyers were alarmed on Sunday at plans for the city’s Chief Executive, Carrie Lam, to select judges for national security cases, calling it the most serious challenge to the territory’s judicial independence since the 1997 handover to Chinese rule, Reuters reports. The move is part of China’s ruling Communist Party’s new national security law for Hong Kong, which could be ratified as soon as the end of the month. The security law, as CNN puts it, “may be as bad as critics feared.”
South Korea on Monday urged North Korea to ditch a plan to drop propaganda leaflets across the border, after the North said it’s ready to launch 12 million leaflets. It would be the largest such psychological campaign against the south, The Associated Press reports.
Yeah, maybe don’t do that right now, please. Health authorities in South Korea said for the first time on Monday it’s in the middle of a “second wave” of COVID-19 infections around Seoul, reports Reuters. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) had previously said South Korea’s first wave had never really ended.
SDNY Attorney Fired By Trump Administration
Schumer calls for investigation into Berman’s removal
Geoffrey S. Berman, the U.S. attorney in Manhattan. (Jefferson Siegel for The New York Times)
🦸♀️ - John Bolton, for writing his book and speaking up—albeit way later than he should have
🦸♀️🦸♀️🦸♀️ - Geoffrey Berman, for doing his job and having to step down, Chuck Schumer for calling for an investigation
🦸♀️🦸♀️🦸♀️ - Audrey Strauss, for hopefully picking up where Berman left off
Former national security adviser John Bolton has been making the scene promoting his memoir, “The Room Where It Happened,” telling NPR that Donald Trump spoke “frequently” with Chinese President Xi Jinping about Trump’s re-election prospects.
In an interview with ABC News that aired Sunday, Bolton told Martha Raddatz he didn't “see anything where [re-election] wasn't the major factor.”
Former White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders has a book of her own coming out, “Speaking For Myself.” According to Axios, Sanders says John Bolton was “drunk on power.” Must be a cheap date.
U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York Geoffrey Berman was fired by William Barr (or was it Trump?), prompting a call from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Sunday for an investigation into Berman’s removal.
“I am calling for a three-pronged investigation that involves three entities: First, the Judiciary Committee, second, the Office of Professional Responsibility at DOJ and third, the Inspector General's Office at DOJ,” Schumer said.
Berman had reportedly been investigating a state-owned Turkish bank. Trump’s proposal to intervene in that investigation felt “like obstruction of justice to me,” said John Bolton in the ABC interview.
As The Washington Post puts it: “Berman’s departure was neither planned nor voluntary but driven by long simmering frustrations over his office’s pursuit of investigations targeting President Trump’s interests and members of his inner circle.”
Rumor has it though that Audrey Strauss, acting U.S. attorney in New York, will continue to fight the good fight, according to colleagues.
WHO Reports Largest Single-Day Increase In COVID-19 Cases
Officials say younger people testing positive in more cases in the US South
🦸♀️🦸♀️🦸♀️ - Scientists and health organizations working to end the COVID-19 pandemic, plus those who wear face masks and adhere to—and enforce—safety protocols
🦸♀️🦸♀️🦸♀️ - World Health Organization
A coronavirus outbreak at a meat plant in Germany has caused the country’s numbers to rise. Authorities in Gutersloh announced on Sunday that they had recorded 1,331 positive cases at the Toennies meat processing factory, CNN reports.
Speaking of meat, China has suspended poultry imports from a Tyson Foods plant in the U.S., possibly in Arkansas, because of concerns over an outbreak of coronavirus at the facility.
This at a time when Donald Trump suggests that if we slow down testing we’ll have much fewer cases of COVID-19, though his advisers say he was joking. Does it matter? Either way, you said it.
Face masks are still doing a big part in keeping the virus held off, at least when people wear them. NBC Nightly News shows how scientists put masks to the test, while NPR has a report that says: “Yes, Wearing Masks Helps. Here’s Why”
And protocols in place for gradual re-openings help, too—when people enforce them: 2 More North Texas Bars Get Alcohol Permits Suspended After Undercover Inspections On COVID-19 Protocols
The World Health Organization (WHO) warns the coronavirus is picking up steam, amid reports of record numbers of cases appearing daily across the globe, and outbreaks surging in Brazil and India.
The WHO on Sunday reported the largest single-day increase in cases by its count, at more than 183,000 new cases worldwide in 24 hours, the Los Angeles Times reports.
The Associated Press reports that rising cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. are leading to worries that progress in preventing the virus is slipping. As Axios notes: “U.S. coronavirus cases are increasing, but deaths aren’t—yet.”
Officials warn that in the South it’s younger people who are testing positive more frequently.
There's No Cure for Covid-19 Loneliness, but Robots Can Help - Wired
Why NASA Designed a New $23 Million Space Toilet - Wired
How AJC Bot was used in the AJC Metro Atlanta Home Sales Report - AJC
16 years after her late husband’s donated organs saved a life, she gave her kidney to save the life of the same man - CNN
Vast Federal Aid Has Capped Rise in Poverty, Studies Find - The New York Times
Africa: In the fight against COVID-19, an unsung continent - Gates Foundation
Malala Yousafzai Graduates From Oxford University - The New York Times
Tennessee Republicans approve six-week abortion ban in surprise vote - The Guardian
The 1865 Handwritten Order Marking Juneteenth Has Been Found - The New York Times
Trump's taking another run at DACA. And a Texas case is a real threat to the program. - NBC News
Israel set to annex one-third of occupied West Bank - Al Jazeera
The Two Faces of Facebook's Election Plans - Wired
Trump's top officials were flabbergasted with his desire to meet Kim Jong Un, former adviser says - Business Insider
Trump Says He Avoided Punishing China Over Uighur Camps to Protect Trade Talks - The New York Times
Sources:
How Facebook Is Undermining ‘Black Lives Matter’ - The New York Times
The North Face is the biggest brand yet to join Facebook ad boycott - CNN
Black leaders in Tulsa rush to cover up Black Wall Street memorials before planned tour by Pence - The Washington Post
Black Sabbath is selling Black Lives Matter shirts and donating all the proceeds to the movement - CNN
FBI investigating noose left in NASCAR stall of Black driver - AP News
Bubba Wallace - Twitter
While Trump fed on America anger, Tulsa protests danced in the streets - Mashable
A Higher % of Younger People See Racial Diversity as Good for Society - Beautiful News
A Georgia college and an alumna are offering full scholarships to Rayshard Brooks' four children - CNN
Asked repeatedly to say 'Black lives matter,’ Mike Pence says 'all lives matter' - CNN
U.S. Watched George Floyd Protests in 15 Cities Using Aerial Surveillance - The New York Times
Tom Petty's Family Doesn't Want Trump Using His Music For A 'Campaign Of Hate' - NPR
Angry Trump yelled at aides over empty seats at Tulsa rally: NYT - Business Insider
TikTok Teens Tank Trump Rally in Tulsa, They Say - The New York Times
Inside Trump's Oklahoma debacle - Politico
Trump’s Tulsa Rally Attendance: 6,200, Fire Dept. Says - The New York Times
Fox News poll: Voters say campaign rallies are a bad idea - Politico
Trump campaign manager: Trolls claiming rally ticket hack ‘don’t know what they’re talking about’ - Politico
Oklahoma Supreme Court denies appeal to enforce social distancing at Trump rally - The Hill
Brad Parscale - Twitter
Trump adviser blames protesters for low Tulsa rally attendance - Politico
Trump rally highlights vulnerabilities heading into election - AP News
Top State Department official Mary Elizabeth Taylor resigns in protest of Trump?s response to racial tensions in the country - The Washington Post
Trump officials were flabbergasted with his desire to meet Kim Jong Un - Business Insider
Former Ukrainian president says Biden never pressed him on Burisma - Politico
Kentucky braces for possible voting problems in Tuesday’s primary amid signs of high turnout - The Washington Post
EU: Make China Rights Crisis a Summit Priority - Human Rights Watch
Hong Kong lawyers alarmed at plans for judges in national security trials - Reuters
China presses ahead with security law to curtail Hong Kong’s political freedoms - The Washington Post
China revealed some details of Hong Kong's national security law and it may be as bad as critics feared - CNN
Trump Says He Avoided Punishing China Over Uighur Camps to Protect Trade Talks - The New York Times
North Korea Vows to Dump Millions of Leaflets and Trash on the South - The New York Times
S Korea urges North not to send leaflets amid high tensions - AP News
South Korea says it is battling 'second wave' of coronavirus - Reuters
John Bolton On Donald Trump, China And Who He's Voting For - NPR
Bolton says Trump is concerned only about his reelection - Politico
Schumer calls for investigation into firing of former U.S. attorney Geoffrey Berman - CBS News
U.S. Attorney Who Investigated Trump Associates Is Abruptly Replaced, With No Notice, Late on a Friday - The New York Times
Sarah Sanders says John Bolton was "drunk on power" - Axios
Geoffrey Berman firing: AG Barr's glowing account of NY prosecutor's work further clouds dismissal - USA Today
Acting U.S. attorney in New York expected to advance politically sensitive cases, safeguard office’s independence, colleagues say - The Washington Post
Bolton says Trump proposal to intervene in SDNY investigation of Turkish bank felt 'like obstruction of justice to me' - The Hill
Germany's coronavirus reproduction rate soars after massive outbreak at meat plant - CNN
Trump's 'kidding' on testing exposes his negligence as virus spikes - CNN
How Scientists Test Face Mask Effectiveness Against Coronavirus - NBC Nightly News
Face Mask Debates: Here's What We Know About The Science - NPR
2 More North Texas Bars Get Alcohol Permits Suspended After Undercover Inspections On COVID-19 Protocols - CBS
China halts imports from Tyson Foods plant over coronavirus fears - CNN
WHO chief says COVID-19 pandemic still accelerating: Live updates - Al Jazeera
Coronavirus lockdowns increase poaching in Asia, Africa - AP News
Virus cases surge in US, India, but slow in China, Korea - AP News
U.S. coronavirus cases are increasing, but deaths aren't — yet - Axios
WHO reports largest single-day increase in coronavirus cases - Los Angeles Times
US coronavirus: More young people across the South are testing positive for coronavirus, officials warn - CNN
"Not on the rug, man."