npr--2020-06-01--Violence Escalates As Protests Over George Floyd Death Continue

Protesters staged large-scale demonstrations across the country on Sunday , expressing outrage at the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and , more broadly , anger at police brutality .
Some cities , including Minneapolis , Atlanta and Seattle , saw clashes with police , buildings and cars set afire and looting .
By evening , many demonstrations had given way to another night of violence and destruction , with protesters ignoring curfews imposed in dozens of cities .
Police used tear gas and stun grenades and fired rubber bullets in attempts to disperse the crowds .
It has now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 46-year-old black man , died in police custody last Monday .
Video shows a Minneapolis police officer had his knee on Floyd 's neck for nearly nine minutes shortly before his death .
In Minneapolis , a semi tractor-trailer plowed through a crowd of protesters marching on an interstate highway near downtown that had been closed to traffic .
Authorities say no one was injured when the truck drove into the crowd at a high speed , westbound on Interstate Highway 35 .
According to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ highway closure .
`` It appears the semi was on I-35W as authorities were closing the road .
It did n't appear to drive through any barricades , '' the department tweeted .
Some protesters jumped on top of the truck ; as it stopped , they dragged the driver out of the front seat and started beating him .
The driver , identified by police as Bogdan Vechirko of Otsego , Minn. , is being held on probable cause for assault .
He was taken to a hospital and is being treated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ driving a gas tanker , '' said Rhys Gailah , 39 , who was in the middle of a sit-in listening to speakers when the truck came barreling through .
`` He came driving at least 50 miles per hour through the crowd .
Everyone was sitting .
It was peaceful . ''
State Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington says authorities had shut down the freeway so the protesters , who numbered from 4,000 to 5,000 , could safely demonstrate .
Before the incident , the protest had appeared peaceful .
Protests continued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from a historically black university to a park just across from the White House .
The peaceful marchers had a city police escort as they walked the nearly two miles from Howard University to Lafayette Square .
Protesters chanted about the death of Floyd and other African Americans who have died following police violence .
`` Even in the middle of a pandemic , cops are killing us , '' read one sign carried by protester Elizabeth Betts .
`` It 's crazy how even in the middle of a pandemic , black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Betts said while marching .
`` We are at a point where it 's the same story , the same things are happening .
I 'm tired of this . ''
The demonstration in Lafayette Park turned violent during the night , as protesters threw bottles at police , set fires to cars and to the basement of St. John 's Church .
The historic church has been attended by every president since James Madison .
Police pushed the crowds away from the White House with bursts of tear gas .
Washington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ established a city-wide curfew from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m .
This is a breaking news story .
This post will be updated .

Violence Erupts As Outrage Over George Floyd's Death Spills Into A New Week
Enlarge this image toggle caption John Minchillo/AP John Minchillo/AP
Updated 2:25 p.m. ET
Protesters staged large-scale demonstrations across the country on Sunday, expressing outrage at the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and, more broadly, anger at police brutality. Some cities, including Minneapolis, Atlanta and Louisville, saw clashes with police, buildings and cars set afire, and looting.
By evening, many demonstrations had given way to another night of violence and destruction, with protesters ignoring curfews imposed in dozens of cities. Police used tear gas and stun grenades and fired rubber bullets in attempts to disperse the crowds.
More than 17,000 National Guard troops have been activated in states across the U.S. due to civil unrest as of Monday, and that number is expected to grow.
Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, died in police custody last Monday. Video shows that a Minneapolis police officer had his knee on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes shortly before his death.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images
Tensions were already simmering following the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery in February and Breonna Taylor in March.
Arbery, a 25-year-old black man, was jogging through a Glynn County, Ga., neighborhood when he was shot dead. Three white men were arrested last month after state investigators took over the case from local authorities.
Protests also continued for a fourth straight night in Louisville, Ky., as activists called for justice for Taylor. Police shot and killed the 26-year-old black woman in her home.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Ricardo Arduengo/AFP via Getty Images Ricardo Arduengo/AFP via Getty Images
Truck barrels into Minneapolis protesters
In Minneapolis, a semitrailer plowed through a crowd of protesters marching on an interstate highway near downtown that had been closed to traffic.
Authorities say no one was injured when the truck drove into the crowd at a high speed, northbound on Interstate 35W.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Kerem Yucel/AFP via Getty Images Kerem Yucel/AFP via Getty Images
According to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, the driver may have been unaware of the highway closure. "It appears the semi was on I-35W as authorities were closing the road. It didn't appear to drive through any barricades," the department tweeted.
Some protesters jumped on top of the truck, and as it stopped, they dragged the driver out of the front seat and started beating him. The driver, identified by police as Bogdan Vechirko of Otsego, Minn., is being held on probable cause for assault. He was taken to a hospital and is being treated for his injuries.
Enlarge this image toggle caption John Minchillo/AP John Minchillo/AP
"He was driving a gas tanker," said Rhys Gailah, 39, who was in the middle of a sit-in listening to speakers when the truck came barreling through. "He came driving at least 50 miles per hour through the crowd. Everyone was sitting. It was peaceful."
State Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington says authorities had shut down the freeway so that the protesters, who numbered from 4,000 to 5,000, could safely demonstrate. Before the incident, the protest had appeared peaceful.
Tensions flare in the nation's capital
Washington, D.C., authorities imposed a curfew after an evening of escalating demonstrations.
Protesters threw bottles at police and set fires to cars and the basement of historic St. John's Church, which has been visited by every president since James Madison.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Alex Brandon/AP Alex Brandon/AP
"Tonight's curfew will begin at 7 p.m. and will run for two days," D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said at a late morning news conference on Monday.
It's primary day in the nation's capital on Tuesday, and the curfew goes into effect an hour before polls close at 8 p.m., according to the District of Columbia Board of Elections website.
The protests on Sunday began with peaceful marchers, along with a police escort, moving their way along a nearly 2-mile stretch from Howard University to Lafayette Square in front of the White House.
Protesters chanted about the death of Floyd and other African Americans who have died following police violence.
"Even in the middle of a pandemic, cops are killing us," read a sign carried by protester Elizabeth Betts.
"It's crazy how even in the middle of a pandemic, black people have to protest like this," she said. "We are at a point where it's the same story, the same things are happening. I'm tired of this."
But after clashes with law enforcement and the fires erupting, police pushed the crowds away from the White House with bursts of tear gas.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Gerry Holmes/NPR Gerry Holmes/NPR
Kentucky authorities investigate shooting death in Louisville
Kentucky's governor said that one person died early Monday as security forces confronted a crowd in central Louisville.
"While working to disperse a crowd, [Louisville Metro Police Department] and the Kentucky National Guard were fired upon," Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said in a statement. "LMPD and the Kentucky National Guard returned fire resulting in a death."
He announced that the Kentucky State Police will be investigating the matter.
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer tweeted his "deepest condolences" for the family of the man, whom he identified as David McAtee.
Fischer also called for a Day of Reflection on Monday.
He held a late morning virtual gathering on Facebook with faith leaders after another night of demonstrations in the city over the death of Breonna Taylor.
On Sunday, law enforcement officers earlier fired tear gas into a crowd assembled in the Jefferson Square area of the city, NPR member station WFPL reported.
At a Sunday evening news conference, Fischer again thanked those protesting peacefully but said others were "hijacking" their efforts.
Atlanta officers terminated for excessive force
Two Atlanta police officers have been terminated and three others placed on desk duty after a video of the arrest of two young African Americans leaving the protests Saturday night went viral.
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced the officers' firing on Sunday, saying the footage "was disturbing on many levels."
"We understand our officers are working very long hours, under an enormous amount of stress," Bottoms said. "But we also understand that the use of excessive force is never acceptable."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Brynn Anderson/AP Brynn Anderson/AP
Georgia Public Broadcasting reported that veteran officers Mark Gardner and Ivory Streeter were terminated.
The footage from Streeter's body camera shows the officers confronting the pair as the two were leaving the downtown protests after the 9 p.m. curfew went into effect.
At roughly the 2:30 mark in the video, one of them is seen sitting in the driver's seat of a car, recording officers arresting someone else. An officer opens the car door and asks the driver if he wants to go to jail.
Several minutes later, officers approach the car again. One uses a baton to smash the driver's side window. Police then use a stun gun on the driver, who has been identified by local media as Messiah Young.
Georgia Public Broadcasting reported that Young suffered an epileptic seizure, according to Spelman College's Student Government Association.
The second person, a woman who has since been identified as Taniyah Pilgrim, has been released from custody and charges against her dropped.
Footage posted by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution shows the passenger pleading with police to stop as they also use a stun gun against her.
''They haven't heard us": Protests escalate in Southern California
Enlarge this image toggle caption Agustin Paullier/AFP via Getty Images Agustin Paullier/AFP via Getty Images
Vandalism and violence broke out after peaceful protests in Santa Monica and other parts of Southern California on Sunday — a sequence of events that has become familiar in many U.S. cities in the past week. The new round of destruction came despite a curfew and the presence of the National Guard.
"We tried kneeling," protester Jesus Guzman, 19, told NPR's Doualy Xaykaothao near the Santa Monica Pier. "We tried putting on those T-shirts that said 'I can't breathe.' We tried those hashtags. We tried doing it all peacefully, but they haven't heard us — they haven't done nothing."
"The violence, for him, is justified," Xaykaothao reported.
With store windows smashed, some shop owners in Santa Monica started cleaning up the mess overnight — the latest setback after weeks of forced closures because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
At their hair salon, Martha Padilla-Bruni and her family were sweeping up broken glass under the streetlights.
"I'm in shock. I don't know what's going to happen," Padilla-Bruni told NPR's Nathan Rott.
Her son, Joe Franco, said he supports the protesters and those who were there earlier in the day. He said he understands that people are in pain.
Franco said, "But I was here across the street, and what I saw, the people that were doing this ... they were not here to protest. They were here to cause trouble."
Reporter in Long Beach, Calif., hit in throat by rubber bullet
KPCC/LAist reporter Adolfo Guzman-Lopez was hit in the throat by a rubber bullet Sunday evening during protests in Long Beach, Calif. He believes the bullet was fired by Long Beach police, who had been firing the projectiles nearby.
"I just got hit by a rubber bullet near the bottom of my throat," Guzman-Lopez said via Twitter, posting an image of his wound. "I had just interviewed a man with my phone at 3rd and Pine and a police officer aimed and shot me in the throat, I saw the bullet bounce onto the street."
Guzman-Lopez was able to breathe and was checked out by doctors Sunday night. The reporter said he had just finished interviewing a man who had been kneeling in protest when he himself was hit.
"I talked to him for about a minute, and just as I was finishing talking to him — right after I said, 'Thank you' — I heard a pop and I felt something, you know, the bottom of my throat, and I saw something bounced onto the ground, and then I ran," he said. "As I was running, I did start to feel its sting, and then I put my fingers to my throat and there was blood on my fingers."
A number of journalists have been hit with police projectiles during the protests, including MSNBC's Ali Velshi, who was shot in the leg by a rubber bullet in Minneapolis, and a Louisville TV reporter who was shot with pepper balls.
NPR's Gerry Holmes contributed to this report.


npr--2020-05-31--George Floyd Reverberates Globally: Thousands Protest In Germany, U.K., Canada

U.S. protesters rallying against the killing of George Floyd and countless other black Americans are being heard around the world as demonstrators launched their own protests in the United Kingdom , Germany and Canada over the weekend .
In Berlin , protesters gathered Sunday at the U.S. Embassy , demonstrating for a second day .
Hundreds of German demonstrators marched in solidarity with American protesters Saturday and Sunday , and chanted `` Stop Killing Us , '' `` Black Lives Matter '' and `` No Justice , No Peace . ''
On a former section of the the Berlin Wall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up over the weekend depicting Floyd and `` I ca n't breathe , '' some of his last words .
Beyond protests that gathered thousands at the capital over the weekend , four soccer players in Germany 's Bundesliga league addressed Floyd 's killing during games .
One player took a knee on the field .
Another exposed a shirt underneath a jersey that read `` Justice for George Floyd . ''
Thousands demonstrated on Sunday in London , according to the BBC , to protest Floyd 's death and police brutality .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with hundreds taking a knee in Trafalgar Square for nine minutes , signifying the amount of time the former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin pinned George Floyd to the ground .
They marched along the Thames and to the U.S. Embassy , chanting `` Black Lives Matter '' and carrying signs with slogans such as , `` How Many More ? ''
`` Racism is a Global Issue '' and `` Your Silence Is Deafening . ''
According to the Metropolitan Police 23 demonstrators were arrested in central London on Sunday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ took place in Manchester and Cardiff .
In Canada , Toronto citizens gathered in protest against injustice towards black people globally and against the death of Regis Korchinski-Paquet , a 29-year-old black woman who lived in Toronto , and the circumstances surrounding her death .
Korchinski-Paquet fell from her balcony while police officers were responding to a `` domestic incident '' in her home .
And in the Iranian city of Mashhad , a candlelight vigil was held in Floyd 's honor , with Black Lives Matter posters and illustrations of Floyd posted @

George Floyd Reverberates Globally: Thousands Protest In Germany, U.K., New Zealand
Enlarge this image toggle caption Silvia Izquierdo/AP Silvia Izquierdo/AP
Updated at 8:29 p.m. ET
U.S. protesters rallying against the killing of George Floyd and countless other black Americans are being heard around the world as demonstrators launched their own protests in the countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, Iran and New Zealand.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Omar Haj Kadour/AFP via Getty Images Omar Haj Kadour/AFP via Getty Images
The Netherlands
A large peaceful protest against George Floyd's killing and police brutality, filled Dam Square in central Amsterdam in solidarity with American protesters on Monday.
Demonstrators carried signs that read "Police violence is not an accident," "Racism is a pandemic" and "My skin ain't a crime."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Peter Dejong/AP Peter Dejong/AP
Naomie Pieter, an Amsterdam based anti-racism activist, called out to the crowd from a stage, "Black women's lives, black trans lives, black disabled lives," with demonstrators responding "Matter!" to each exclamation.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Peter Dejong/AP Peter Dejong/AP
The majority of protesters wore masks, and there were no immediate reports of violence or arrests.
Germany
Enlarge this image toggle caption Odd Anderson/AFP via Getty Images Odd Anderson/AFP via Getty Images
In Berlin, protesters gathered Sunday outside the U.S. Embassy, demonstrating for a second day.
Hundreds of German demonstrators marched in solidarity with American protesters Saturday and Sunday, chanting "Stop killing us," "Black lives matter" and "No justice, no peace."
On a former section of the Berlin Wall, in Mauerpark, a memorial popped up over the weekend depicting Floyd and "I can't breathe," some of his last words.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Markus Schreiber/AP Markus Schreiber/AP
Beyond protests that gathered thousands at the capital over the weekend, four soccer players in Germany's Bundesliga league addressed Floyd's killing during games. One player took a knee on the field. Another exposed a shirt underneath a jersey that read "Justice for George Floyd."
U.K.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP via Getty Images Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP via Getty Images
Enlarge this image toggle caption Matt Dunham/AP Matt Dunham/AP
Thousands demonstrated on Sunday in London, according to the BBC, to protest Floyd's death and police brutality.
The protest was concentrated in central London, with hundreds taking a knee in Trafalgar Square for nine minutes, signifying the amount of time the former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin pinned Floyd to the ground.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images
They marched along the Thames and to the U.S. Embassy, chanting "Black lives matter" and carrying signs with slogans such as "Racism is a global issue," "Your silence is deafening" and "How many more?"
According to the Metropolitan Police, 23 demonstrators were arrested in central London on Sunday.
Elsewhere in the U.K., demonstrations also took place in Manchester and Cardiff.
Canada
Enlarge this image toggle caption Eric Thomas/AFP via Getty Images Eric Thomas/AFP via Getty Images
In Canada, people in Toronto gathered in protest against injustice toward black people globally and against the death of Regis Korchinski-Paquet, a 29-year-old black woman who lived in Toronto, and the circumstances surrounding her death.
Korchinski-Paquet fell from her balcony while police officers were responding to a domestic incident in her home.
New Zealand
Despite coronavirus-related restrictions on large gatherings, thousands took to the streets to protest police brutality in Auckland, sparking criticism from some political leaders.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Dean Purcell/AP Dean Purcell/AP
Organizers tried to encourage social distancing, The New Zealand Herald reported, but the large turnout forced demonstrators close together. Protesters marched and chanted "No justice, no peace" and "Black lives matter."
Toward the end of the march, video posted on social media showed demonstrators participating in an impromptu haka, a ceremonial dance of the Maori people.
Demonstrators also gathered in the smaller cities of Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.
Iran
And in the Iranian city of Mashhad, a candlelight vigil was held in Floyd's honor, with Black Lives Matter posters and illustrations of Floyd posted.


npr--2020-05-31--Christo, Famous For His Monumental Works Of Art, Dies At 84

Christo , Famous For His Monumental Works Of Art , Dies At 84 Artist Christo Vladimirov Javacheff , who was known for creating monumental works of art that played off of their environment in cities across the world , died Sunday at his home in New York City , according to the artist 's representatives .
He was 84 years old .
Christo , as he was known , along with his wife and artistic partner , Jeanne-Claude Denat de Guillebon , liked to wrap things up .
In 1985 , they wrapped the Pont Neuf bridge in Paris with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrapped the Reichstag in Berlin with an aluminum-looking fabric .
Together , they completed more than 20 projects , including a 2005 piece in which they mounted 7,503 orange fabric panels in New York City 's Central Park for one of their most famous installations , The Gates .
After Jeanne-Claude died in 2009 , Christo continued completing their projects .
He presented The Floating Piers in 2016 , a piece of work he and Jeanne-Claude first envisioned after they wrapped a massive section of the Australian coastline with fabric in 1969 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ walkway covered in yellow-orange fabric connecting two Italian islands with the mainland .
`` All the journey is the work of art , '' Christo told Here & Now 's Jeremy Hobson in 2016 of the project that was public for just 16 days before it was taken down and recycled .
`` And the most beautiful part of the floating pier is to see the entire project is about the people walking nowhere .
About the feeling of the surface of the land or the water .
And your feet actually , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ walk , they walk .
It 's not like going to shop , not going to see your friends .
It 's going really nowhere . ''
Christo and Jeanne-Claude have n't wrapped up their final project yet , either — L'Arc de Triomphe , Wrapped , is still on track for fall 2021 .
Starting in July , a major exhibit of their work is scheduled to be on view at the Centre Pompidou in Paris .
Christo was born in Bulgaria in 1935 , where he studied at the National Academcy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he moved to Prague , then Vienna , then Geneva , and in 1958 to Paris , where he met Jeanne-Claude .
The couple moved to New York City in 1964 , where Christo lived most of his life .
Together , they have a son , Cyril , born in 1960 .
`` Christo lived his life to the fullest , not only dreaming up what seemed impossible but realizing it , '' his office said in a statement posted to their Facebook page .
`` Christo and Jeanne-Claude 's artwork @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the globe , and their work lives on in our hearts and memories . ''

Christo, Famous For His Monumental Works Of Art, Dies At 84
Enlarge this image toggle caption Pier Marco Tacca/Getty Images Pier Marco Tacca/Getty Images
Artist Christo Vladimirov Javacheff, who was known for creating monumental works of art that played off of their environment in cities around the world, died Sunday at his home in New York City, according to the artist's representatives. He was 84 years old.
Christo, as he was known, along with his wife and artistic partner, Jeanne-Claude Denat de Guillebon, liked to wrap things up. In 1985, they wrapped the Pont Neuf bridge in Paris with fabric, and a decade later, they wrapped the Reichstag in Berlin with an aluminum-looking fabric. Together, they completed more than 20 projects, including a 2005 piece in which they mounted 7,503 orange fabric panels in New York City's Central Park for one of their most famous installations, The Gates.
toggle caption Niklas Halle'n/AFP via Getty Images
After Jeanne-Claude died in 2009, Christo continued their projects. He presented The Floating Piers in 2016, a piece of work he and Jeanne-Claude first envisioned after they wrapped a massive section of the Australian coastline with fabric in 1969. The Floating Piers was a nearly 2-mile-long walkway covered in yellow-orange fabric connecting two Italian islands with the mainland.
"All the journey is the work of art," Christo told Here & Now's Jeremy Hobson in 2016 of the project that was public for just 16 days before it was taken down and recycled. "And the most beautiful part of the floating pier is to see the entire project is about the people walking nowhere. About the feeling of the surface of the land or the water. And your feet actually, many people walk barefoot. And they walk, they walk. It's not like going to shop, not going to see your friends. It's going really nowhere."
toggle caption Benoit Doppagne/AFP via Getty Images
Christo and Jeanne-Claude's final project hasn't been finished — L'Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped, is still on track for fall 2021. Starting in July, a major exhibit of their work is scheduled to be on view at the Centre Pompidou in Paris.
Christo was born in Bulgaria in 1935, and he studied at the National Academy of Arts in Sofia. In 1956, he moved to Prague, then Vienna, then Geneva, and in 1958 to Paris, where he met Jeanne-Claude. The couple moved to New York City in 1964, where Christo lived most of his life. Together, they have a son, Cyril, born in 1960.
"Christo lived his life to the fullest, not only dreaming up what seemed impossible but realizing it," his office said in a statement posted to their Facebook page. "Christo and Jeanne-Claude's artwork brought people together in shared experiences across the globe, and their work lives on in our hearts and memories."


npr--2020-05-31--Biden Leaves Home To Visit Delaware Protest Site

Former Vice President Joe Biden made an unannounced visit on Sunday to the site in Wilmington , Del.
, where protests took place the night before , one of dozens of protests across the country following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody .
It was the second time in a week that Biden left his home , following a brief Memorial Day wreath-laying ceremony at a veterans memorial in New Castle , Del .
Biden has been campaigning exclusively from his house since coronavirus lockdowns began , repeatedly saying he is following stay-at-home orders issued by Delaware @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country have been overwhelmed by sometimes violent protests responding to Floyd 's death , and as President Trump has stoked divisions with tweets about `` vicious dogs '' ready to respond to White House protests , labeling of Minnesota protesters as `` thugs , '' and repeated blaming of unrest on Democratic mayors and governors , Biden has tried to increase his visibility to portray a more empathetic and conciliatory approach to leadership .
`` We are a nation in pain , but we must not allow this pain to destroy us , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , alongside a picture of him on one knee , wearing a mask , speaking to an African American man holding a child .
`` We are a nation enraged , but we can not allow our rage to consume us .
We are a nation exhausted , but we will not allow our exhaustion to defeat us . ''
`` The only way to bear this pain is to turn all that anguish to purpose , '' Biden 's post continued .
`` And as President , I will help lead this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will listen , just as I did today visiting the site of last night 's protests in Wilmington . ''
Biden 's campaign posted a picture of the visit on social media , but provided no additional information about how long Biden stayed at the protest site , how many people he talked to , or when on Sunday he made the visit , which was not announced beforehand .
While Biden and his campaign had purposely taken a low-visibility approach to the early days of the coronavirus crisis , preferring instead to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the daily press briefings credited with eroding the president 's approval ratings , Biden has been much more responsive to Floyd 's death and its aftermath , which have triggered a level of national protest not seen since the late 1960s .
Biden delivered a five-minute speech from his Wilmington home Friday , framing Floyd 's death as the latest example of a centuries-old `` open wound '' of racism in the United States .
Floyd 's death , Biden said , was `` an act of brutality so elemental it did more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his civil rights and human rights .
It denied him of his very humanity and denied him of his life . ''
Earlier Friday , Biden spoke to Floyd 's family on the phone .
Floyd 's brother , Philonise Floyd , told MSNBC on Saturday that during the call , `` I asked him could he please , please get justice for my brother . ''
A later call from President Trump , Floyd said , was much briefer .
`` I was trying to talk to him , but he just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Floyd said .

Joe Biden Leaves Home To Visit Delaware Protest Site
Enlarge this image toggle caption Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images
Former Vice President Joe Biden made an unannounced visit on Sunday to the site in Wilmington, Del., where protests took place the night before, one of dozens of protests across the country following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody.
It was the second time in a week that Biden left his home, following a brief Memorial Day wreath-laying ceremony at a veterans memorial in New Castle, Del. Biden has been campaigning exclusively from his house since coronavirus lockdowns began, repeatedly saying he is following stay-at-home orders issued by Delaware's governor.
As cities across the country have been overwhelmed by sometimes violent protests responding to Floyd's death — and as President Trump has stoked divisions with tweets about "vicious dogs" ready to respond to White House protests, labeling of Minnesota protesters as "thugs" and repeatedly blaming unrest on Democratic mayors and governors — Biden has tried to increase his visibility to portray a more empathetic and conciliatory approach to leadership.
"We are a nation in pain, but we must not allow this pain to destroy us," Biden wrote on Twitter and Facebook, alongside a picture of him on one knee, wearing a mask, speaking to a black man holding a child. "We are a nation enraged, but we cannot allow our rage to consume us. We are a nation exhausted, but we will not allow our exhaustion to defeat us."
"The only way to bear this pain is to turn all that anguish to purpose," Biden's post continued. "And as President, I will help lead this conversation — and more importantly, I will listen, just as I did today visiting the site of last night's protests in Wilmington."
Biden's campaign posted a picture of the visit on social media but provided no additional information about how long Biden stayed at the protest site, how many people he talked to or when on Sunday he made the visit, which was not announced beforehand.
While Biden and his campaign had purposely taken a low-visibility approach to the early days of the coronavirus crisis, preferring instead to keep the focus on President Trump and the daily press briefings credited with eroding the president's approval ratings, Biden has been much more responsive to Floyd's death and its aftermath, which have triggered a level of national protest not seen since the late 1960s.
Biden delivered a five-minute speech from his Wilmington home Friday, framing Floyd's death as the latest example of a centuries old "open wound" of racism in the United States. Floyd's death, Biden said, was "an act of brutality so elemental it did more than deny one black man in America his civil rights and human rights. It denied him of his very humanity and denied him of his life."
Earlier Friday, Biden spoke to Floyd's family on the phone. Floyd's brother, Philonise Floyd, told MSNBC on Saturday that during the call, "I asked him could he please, please get justice for my brother."
A later call from President Trump, Floyd said, was much briefer. "I was trying to talk to him, but he just kept, like, pushing me off," Floyd said.


npr--2020-06-01--What Is The Insurrection Act That Trump Is Threatening To Invoke?

What Is The Insurrection Act That Trump Is Threatening To Invoke ?
President Trump threatened Monday to take military action in American cities if the violent demonstrations that have been taking place in recent days are n't stamped out .
`` If a city or state refuses to take the actions that are necessary to defend the life and property of their residents , then I will deploy the United States military and quickly solve the problem for them , '' Trump said in a short statement in the Rose Garden at the White House .
In order to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ invoke what 's known as the Insurrection Act of 1807 .
The original text of the act , which has been amended several times since it was first passed , reads as follows : An Act authorizing the employment of the land and naval forces of the United States , in cases of insurrections Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled , That in all cases of insurrection , or obstruction to the laws , either of the United States , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , where it is lawful for the President of the United States to call forth the militia for the purpose of suppressing such insurrection , or of causing the laws to be duly executed , it shall be lawful for him to employ , for the same purposes , such part of the land or naval force of the United States , as shall be judged necessary , having first observed all the pre-requisites of the law in that respect .
The act was last invoked in 1992 to quell the the Los @ @ @ @ @ @ @ white police officers in the beating of Rodney King , a black man , and before that in 1989 during widespread looting in St. Croix , Virgin Islands , after Hurricane Hugo .
Before invoking it , the president `` must first issue a proclamation ordering the insurgents to disperse within a limited time , 10 U.S.C .
§ 334.4 .
If the situation does not resolve itself , the President may issue an executive order to send in troops , '' according to a 2006 report by the Congressional Research Service .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ was amended to expand the instances in which the president may invoke the law , after the federal government 's response to Hurricane Katrina a year earlier was criticized .
It authorized `` the President to employ the armed forces during a natural disaster or terrorist attack . ''
As to whether a state must request the presence of those military forces in their state , that 's `` not necessarily '' the case , according to experts .
A section of the law ( §251 ) says ( emphasis ours ) : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says :

What Is The Insurrection Act That Trump Is Threatening To Invoke?
Enlarge this image toggle caption Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images
President Trump threatened Monday to take military action in American cities if the violent demonstrations that have been taking place in recent days aren't stamped out.
"If a city or state refuses to take the actions that are necessary to defend the life and property of their residents, then I will deploy the United States military and quickly solve the problem for them," Trump said in a short statement in the Rose Garden at the White House.
To do that, the president would need to invoke what's known as the Insurrection Act of 1807. The original text of the act, which has been amended several times since it was first passed, reads as follows:
An Act authorizing the employment of the land and naval forces of the United States, in cases of insurrections Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That in all cases of insurrection, or obstruction to the laws, either of the United States, or of any individual state or territory, where it is lawful for the President of the United States to call forth the militia for the purpose of suppressing such insurrection, or of causing the laws to be duly executed, it shall be lawful for him to employ, for the same purposes, such part of the land or naval force of the United States, as shall be judged necessary, having first observed all the pre-requisites of the law in that respect. APPROVED, March 3, 1807.
The act was last invoked in 1992 to quell the Los Angeles riots after the acquittal of four white police officers in the beating of Rodney King, a black man, and before that in 1989 during widespread looting in St. Croix, Virgin Islands, after Hurricane Hugo.
Before invoking it, the president "must first issue a proclamation ordering the insurgents to disperse within a limited time, 10 U.S.C. § 334.4. If the situation does not resolve itself, the President may issue an executive order to send in troops," according to a 2006 report by the Congressional Research Service.
That is the same year the act was amended to expand the instances in which the president may invoke the law, after the federal government's response to Hurricane Katrina a year earlier was criticized.
It authorizes "the President to employ the armed forces during a natural disaster or terrorist attack."
As to whether a state must request the presence of those military forces in the state, that's "not necessarily" the case, according to experts.
A section of the law (§251) says (emphasis ours):
"[T]he President may, upon the request of its legislature or of its governor if the legislature cannot be convened, call into Federal service such of the militia."
But the next section (§252) says:


npr--2020-06-01--White House Coronavirus Testing Czar To Stand Down

The Trump administration 's testing czar announced Monday that he will be leaving that position in mid-June .
Adm. Brett Giroir told a meeting of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS that he will be `` demobilized '' from his role overseeing coronavirus testing at FEMA in a few weeks and going back to his regular post at the Department of Health and Human Services .
An HHS spokesperson confirmed the plan for Giroir to stand down from his role and indicated that there are no plans to appoint a new `` head of efforts '' for coronavirus testing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the COVID-19 testing and related efforts , many of the day-to-day management and operations of testing are being transitioned to HHS operating divisions , '' the spokesperson said in a statement to NPR .
This will allow Giroir `` to return to the key public health responsibilities of the Assistant Secretary for Health . ''
Giroir was appointed to the testing position in March at a time when the U.S. was struggling to ramp up testing capacity as coronavirus was spreading .
When Giroir took charge , on March 12 , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nationally .
By the end of May , there were around 400,000 tests done daily according to The COVID Tracking Project .
While that 's a significant increase , some public health experts say that in order to safely reopen , as many as 900,000 daily tests may be needed .
`` Week after week , things do look a little bit better , '' says Scott Becker , CEO of the Association of Public Health Laboratories .
`` But we 're working to continue to expand because we really believe much more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and certainly into the fall . ''
Becker says Giroir was responsive and forthright about the testing issues , and that he appreciated him in the `` command and control kind of role . ''
The move by HHS away from that model is understandable , Becker says , adding that it also makes him `` a little bit anxious . ''
`` The testing supplies are still not perfect — the supply chain still is n't fully operational , '' he says .
`` So I want to make sure that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need . ''
Becker takes some comfort in the fact that Giroir should still be accessible and responsive on testing issues from his usual post as assistant secretary for health at HHS , noting , `` I still know where to find him . ''

White House Coronavirus Testing Czar To Stand Down
Enlarge this image toggle caption Alex Brandon/AP Alex Brandon/AP
The Trump administration's testing czar announced Monday that he will be leaving that position in mid-June.
Adm. Brett Giroir told a meeting of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS that he will be "demobilized" from his role overseeing coronavirus testing at FEMA in a few weeks and going back to his regular post at the Department of Health and Human Services.
An HHS spokesperson confirmed the plan for Giroir to stand down from his role and indicated that there are no plans to appoint a new "head of efforts" for coronavirus testing.
"While Adm. Giroir will remain engaged with the COVID-19 testing and related efforts, many of the day-to-day management and operations of testing are being transitioned to HHS operating divisions," the spokesperson said in a statement to NPR. This will allow Giroir "to return to the key public health responsibilities of the Assistant Secretary for Health."
Giroir was appointed to the testing position in March at a time when the U.S. was struggling to ramp up testing capacity as coronavirus was spreading. When Giroir took charge, on March 12, there were only 5,247 tests done per day nationally.
By the end of May, there were around 400,000 tests done daily according to The COVID Tracking Project. While that's a significant increase, some public health experts say that in order to safely reopen, as many as 900,000 daily tests may be needed.
"Week after week, things do look a little bit better," says Scott Becker, CEO of the Association of Public Health Laboratories. "But we're working to continue to expand because we really believe much more testing is needed through through the summer and certainly into the fall."
Becker says Giroir was responsive and forthright about the testing issues, and that he appreciated him in the "command and control kind of role." The move by HHS away from that model is understandable, Becker says, adding that it also makes him "a little bit anxious."
"The testing supplies are still not perfect — the supply chain still isn't fully operational," he says. "So I want to make sure that we're still getting the attention that we need."
Becker takes some comfort in the fact that Giroir should still be accessible and responsive on testing issues from his usual post as assistant secretary for health at HHS, noting, "I still know where to find him."


npr--2020-06-01--U.K. Schools Begin Reopening Despite Coronavirus Concerns

Grade schools in the United Kingdom began a staged reopening Monday , welcoming back the first wave of students since closing in late March to all but vulnerable children and children of essential workers .
The reopening comes as the government begins to ease other restrictions , now allowing groups of up to six people from different households to convene in private outdoor settings like gardens with appropriate social distance .
The rate of daily coronavirus cases in the U.K. is on a downward trend , but the country continues to report around 4,000 new cases per day , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Now , as primary schools invite back more than 2 million children across three grades , experts say they expect about half of parents to continue keeping children at home , according to a survey published Monday by the National Foundation for Education Research .
Geoff Barton of the Association of School and College Leaders estimates that attendance will range from 40 % to 70 % in schools reopening this week .
Some schools allowed to reopen Monday have chosen to remain closed due to safety concerns .
`` Our early impression is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of primary schools is very mixed , according to a range of factors , such as different approaches by local authorities , constraints on the space available in schools to accommodate eligible pupils while implementing the safety protocols , and the availability of staff , '' Barton said in a press release Monday .
That survey also found that more than 60 % of school leaders feel unprepared for some aspects of reopening , including managing students ' movement and reorganizing spaces to allow for social distancing .
The U.K. Teachers ' Union @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minister Boris Johnson 's decision to move ahead with reopening schools in June despite possible risks .
`` The Prime Minister 's display of determination to press ahead with the wider reopening of schools from 1 June is seriously at odds with the scientific evidence released to date , and the deep concerns expressed by schools , teachers and parents , '' NASUWT General Secretary Dr. Patrick Roach said last month .
Still , in an interview with the Express & Star Monday , Education Secretary Gavin Williamson maintained that reopening schools is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` All schools need to start opening up , '' he said .
`` It is in the interests of the children 's learning and well being . ''
Additional primary and secondary schools are slated to resume classes later this month , according to the Department of Education .

U.K. Schools Begin Reopening Despite Coronavirus Concerns
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jon Super/AP Jon Super/AP
Grade schools in the United Kingdom began a staged reopening Monday, welcoming back the first wave of students since closing in late March to all but vulnerable children and children of essential workers.
The reopening comes as the government begins to ease other restrictions, now allowing groups of up to six people from different households to convene in private outdoor settings like gardens with appropriate social distance. The rate of daily coronavirus cases in the U.K. is on a downward trend, but the country continues to report around 4,000 new cases per day, according to a New York Times tracker.
Now, as primary schools invite back more than 2 million children across three grades, experts say they expect about half of parents to continue keeping children at home, according to a survey published Monday by the National Foundation for Education Research.
Geoff Barton of the Association of School and College Leaders estimates that attendance will range from 40% to 70% in schools reopening this week. Some schools allowed to reopen Monday have chosen to remain closed due to safety concerns.
"Our early impression is that the picture on the wider opening of primary schools is very mixed, according to a range of factors, such as different approaches by local authorities, constraints on the space available in schools to accommodate eligible pupils while implementing the safety protocols, and the availability of staff," Barton said in a press release Monday.
That survey also found that more than 60% of school leaders feel unprepared for some aspects of reopening, including managing students' movement and reorganizing spaces to allow for social distancing.
The U.K. Teachers' Union, NASUWT, has consistently criticized Prime Minister Boris Johnson's decision to move ahead with reopening schools in June despite possible risks.
"The Prime Minister's display of determination to press ahead with the wider reopening of schools from 1 June is seriously at odds with the scientific evidence released to date, and the deep concerns expressed by schools, teachers and parents," NASUWT General Secretary Dr. Patrick Roach said last month.
Still, in an interview with the Express & Star Monday, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson maintained that reopening schools is safe and now necessary for students.
"All schools need to start opening up," he said. "It is in the interests of the children's learning and well being."
Additional primary and secondary schools are slated to resume classes later this month, according to the Department of Education.


npr--2020-06-01--'None Of This Is True': Protests Become Fertile Ground for Online Disinformation

'None Of This Is True ' : Protests Become Fertile Ground for Online Disinformation The image would shock just about anyone : a fire so large that it seems to stretch halfway up the 550-foot-tall Washington Monument , and burning so bright that it dramatically illuminated the landmark .
The image was a screenshot from the fictional ABC show `` Designated Survivor . ''
But coming on the third day of raucous protests around the White House against police violence — which did include some fires that were intentionally set — it could have seemed like it was real .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , not unlike a number of other rumors that spread during moments of uncertainty and chaos over the weekend , and which showed how the intense polarization of the current moment is fertile ground for online disinformation campaigns .
A CNN reporter was accused by some protesters of being a D.C. police officer in disguise , forcing the network to clarify that he was one of their journalists on the ground .
And there were claims spread under the # dcblackout hashtag that cell phones and other communication devices were blocked as part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reprisals to go unreported .
That , too , was not true .
`` Some of my videos and pics being posted by accounts saying they were last before a `` # dcblackout '' where streams and cells shut down .
I did n't experience anything like that and — though I did n't try streaming — had no issue with phone as I tweeted and worked until 2:30 am at least , '' tweeted Yahoo !
reporter Hunter Walker on Monday morning .
`` Stop retweeting # dcblackout , '' added CBS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this is true .
Eventually , even TV crews need to sleep , but ours and many others were out late into the night .
Their phones worked .
Live signal was strong .
Many of these tweets are the same wording .
Do n't fall for whatever is happening here . ''
Experts say the # dcblackout hashtag seemed to be the work of a '' well-funded '' and organized internet campaign , and a successful one at that .
Many of the accounts promoting the # dcblackout claims had few followers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been created specifically for the purposes of spread disinformation , said Alex Engler , a scholar at the Brookings Institution who has followed the use of social media and technology to spread propaganda .
`` A lot of these accounts are pretty suspicious , especially the ones disseminating them at night .
But there are very real people now promoting this .
By 9 a.m. the fact that the origin of the story seems to be manufactured would already be obscured to you , '' he says .
The # DCBlackout hashtag was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to Clemson University communication professor Darren Linvill .
`` Even if a huge percentage of those real people are using that hashtag to say , 'hey , this is n't real ' — it does n't matter , '' Linvill said .
Even if only 20 % of people posting about it believe it , `` 20 % of a million is still 200,000 people . ''
The # DCBlackout campaign also showed a level of digital sophistication that did n't become clear until 12 hours after the original lie began @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the claims by Monday morning , the online manipulation was n't finished .
A coordinated network of hacked accounts then began tweeting about how the hashtag was faked and that people do n't need to panic .
`` As someone seeing # dcblackout trending , who lives and works in the DC metro area , and who has friends telecommuting into DC rn ... .. this hashtag looks like misinformation , '' wrote the hundreds of tweets .
By having so-called bot accounts push back against the original storyline , Linvill says some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely to believe it because it could seem like a staged debunking .
`` They 're creating this double negative , '' he said .
`` And causing everyone to question their own reality . ''
He hesitated to attribute the campaign to a specific actor but called the strategy of pushing multiple competing narratives , `` a classic Russian move . ''
Both Linvill and Engler said they expect to see more operations similar to this one as the protests continue , as the presidential election draws nearer , and as people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ever have before as a result of the coronavirus pandemic .
`` This is an enormous moment in American politics .
It has the entire country 's attention .
When there have been moments like this , especially when fraught with divisions , we 've routinely seen foreign parties exacerbate those differences of opinions and drive distrust and chaos , '' Engler said .
`` If what this does is drive distrust ... then that 's a victory .
If it makes it harder to tell what 's true and what is n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @

'None Of This Is True': Protests Become Fertile Ground for Online Disinformation
toggle caption Twitter screenshot
Updated Tuesday at 7 a.m. ET
The image would shock just about anyone: a fire so large that it seems to stretch halfway up the 550-foot-tall Washington Monument, and burning so bright that it dramatically illuminated the landmark.
Shocking but fake.
The image was a screenshot from the fictional TV show Designated Survivor. But coming on the third day of raucous protests around the White House against police violence — which did include some fires that were intentionally set — it could have seemed like it was real.
The image quickly went viral on Twitter, not unlike a number of other rumors that spread during moments of uncertainty and chaos over the weekend and that showed how the intense polarization of the moment is fertile ground for online disinformation campaigns.
Some protesters accused a CNN reporter of being a Washington, D.C., police officer in disguise, forcing the network to clarify he was one of its journalists on the ground.
And there were claims spread under the #dcblackout hashtag that cellphones and other communication devices were blocked as part of a strategy to allow violent police reprisals to go unreported. That, too, was not true.
"Some of my videos and pics being posted by accounts saying they were last before a "#dcblackout" where streams and cells shut down. I didn't experience anything like that and — though I didn't try streaming — had no issue with phone as I tweeted and worked until 2:30 am at least," Yahoo! reporter Hunter Walker tweeted Monday morning.
"Stop retweeting #dcblackout," CBS reporter Christina Ruffini added. "None of this is true. Eventually, even TV crews need to sleep, but ours and many others were out late into the night. Their phones worked. Live signal was strong. Many of these tweets are the same wording. Don't fall for whatever is happening here."
Experts said the #dcblackout hashtag seemed to be the work of a well-funded and organized Internet campaign, and a successful one at that.
Many of the accounts promoting the #dcblackout claims had few followers, indicating they could have been created for the purpose of spreading disinformation, said Alex Engler, a scholar at the Brookings Institution who has followed the use of social media and technology to spread propaganda.
"A lot of these accounts are pretty suspicious, especially the ones disseminating them at night. But there are very real people now promoting this. By 9 a.m. the fact that the origin of the story seems to be manufactured would already be obscured to you," Engler said.
The #dcblackout hashtag was approaching 1 million mentions by Monday afternoon, according to Clemson University communication professor Darren Linvill.
"Even if a huge percentage of those real people are using that hashtag to say, 'Hey, this isn't real' — it doesn't matter," Linvill said. Even if only 20% of people posting about it believe it, "20% of a million is still 200,000 people."
In an email to NPR, a Twitter spokesperson said it is "investigating the hashtag #dcblackout" and that it has suspended hundreds of "spammy" accounts that tweeted it out.
A shifting strategy
The #dcblackout campaign also showed a level of digital sophistication that didn't become clear until 12 hours after the original lie began spreading.
While reputable sources had debunked the claims by Monday morning, the online manipulation wasn't finished. A coordinated network of hacked accounts then began tweeting about how the hashtag was faked and that people don't need to panic.
"As someone seeing #dcblackout trending, who lives and works in the DC metro area, and who has friends telecommuting into DC rn..... this hashtag looks like misinformation," began hundreds of tweets posted by different accounts.
toggle caption NPR screenshot
By having so-called bot accounts push back against the original storyline, Linvill said some users may have ended up more likely to believe it because it could seem like a staged debunking.
"They're creating this double negative," he said. "And causing everyone to question their own reality."
He hesitated to attribute the campaign to a specific actor but called the strategy of pushing multiple competing narratives "a classic Russian move."
Both Linvill and Engler said they expect to see more operations similar to this one as the protests continue, the presidential election draws nearer, and people use social media more than ever before as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
"This is an enormous moment in American politics. It has the entire country's attention. When there have been moments like this, especially when fraught with divisions, we've routinely seen foreign parties exacerbate those differences of opinions and drive distrust and chaos," Engler said.
"If what this does is drive distrust ... then that's a victory. If it makes it harder to tell what's true and what isn't ... then that's working."
NPR's Bobby Allyn contributed to this report.


npr--2020-06-01--Mexico's President Touts Reopening With The Country Mostly In Coronavirus Red Zone

Mexico 's President Touts Reopening With The Country Mostly In Coronavirus Red Zone Mexico 's government has announced a nationwide lifting of coronavirus social distancing measures — with the exception of areas marked as red zones .
Making the announcement virtually meaningless , a government map shows nearly the entire country marked in red .
It 's just the most recent example of confusing messaging from the president who was late to acknowledge the seriousness of the coronavirus threat .
While President Andrés Manuel López Obrador is eager to get the country back to work , cases are rising .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of COVID-19 deaths in the world , according to the Johns Hopkins tracker , with nearly 10,000 virus-related fatalities and almost 100,000 confirmed cases .
Testing in the country is low and health officials acknowledge that the numbers are likely much higher .
López Obrador has downplayed the virus outbreak and has criticized stay-at-home orders for harming the economy .
This week the president resumed traveling around the country , on Monday visiting the resort town of Cancún , which has been hit hard by the lack of tourism .
The governor of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tulum and other popular spots are located , says the state will open back up to tourists next week .
The president drove the 1,000-mile trip from Mexico City to the Yucatán Peninsula , in southeastern Mexico , opting not to fly commercial airlines as one of the personal precautions he promised to take against the virus .
He is in the region to tout an infrastructure project , the Mayan Train .
The railway will carry tourists around the Yucatán and other , poorer areas of the south , to create new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to the president .
He told reporters there is good news on Mexico 's economic horizon , pointing to a slight increase in oil prices , which have been low , and a small strengthening of the peso , which has slumped against the dollar since the outbreak .
If easing restrictions leads to a spike in coronavirus cases , he said , he is prepared to once again shut activities .
But any new measures would be recommendations and never done by force , he added .
In the Mexico @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hit hardest by the outbreak , it 's unclear when social distancing rules will be lifted .
Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum is urging residents to remain indoors and only go out when absolutely necessary .

Mexico's President Touts Reopening With The Country Mostly In Coronavirus Red Zone
Enlarge this image toggle caption Fernando Llano/AP Fernando Llano/AP
Mexico's government has announced a nationwide lifting of coronavirus social distancing measures — with the exception of areas marked as red zones. Making the announcement virtually meaningless, a government map shows nearly the entire country marked in red.
It's just the most recent example of confusing messaging from the president who was late to acknowledge the seriousness of the coronavirus threat. While President Andrés Manuel López Obrador is eager to get the country back to work, cases are rising. Mexico has now recorded the seventh-highest number of COVID-19 deaths in the world, according to the Johns Hopkins tracker, with nearly 10,000 virus-related fatalities and almost 100,000 confirmed cases. Testing in the country is low and health officials acknowledge that the numbers are likely much higher.
López Obrador has downplayed the virus outbreak and has criticized stay-at-home orders for harming the economy.
This week the president resumed traveling around the country, on Monday visiting the resort town of Cancún, which has been hit hard by the lack of tourism.
The governor of Quintana Roo state, where Cancún, Tulum and other popular spots are located, says the state will open back up to tourists next week.
The president drove the 1,000-mile trip from Mexico City to the Yucatán Peninsula, in southeastern Mexico, opting not to fly commercial airlines as one of the personal precautions he promised to take against the virus.
He is in the region to tout an infrastructure project, the Mayan Train. The railway will carry tourists around the Yucatán and other, poorer areas of the south, to create new economic opportunities and up to 80,000 jobs, according to the president.
He told reporters there is good news on Mexico's economic horizon, pointing to a slight increase in oil prices, which have been low, and a small strengthening of the peso, which has slumped against the dollar since the outbreak.
If easing restrictions leads to a spike in coronavirus cases, he said, he is prepared to once again shut activities. But any new measures would be recommendations and never done by force, he added.
In the Mexico City metropolitan area, which has been hit hardest by the outbreak, it's unclear when social distancing rules will be lifted. Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum is urging residents to remain indoors and only go out when absolutely necessary.


npr--2020-06-01--USC Professor On How Protests Have Changed Since LA Riots In 1992

USC Professor On How Protests Have Changed Since LA Riots In 1992 Looting , fires , vandalism and the National Guard on the streets — for many , the unrest of 2020 evokes memories of the destructive riots of 1992 in Los Angeles .
Both times the protests began in anger over police violence against black men — in 1992 , when four police officers were acquitted of the brutal beating of Rodney King ; now , when George Floyd died in Minnesota after a policeman knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes .
`` We keep telling ourselves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police misconduct , '' says Jody David Armour , a law professor who studies the intersection of race and the criminal justice system .
`` But in this case , we saw that in Minnesota , the police department did a lot of that stuff .
And still here we are . ''
Armour , who has taught at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles since 1995 , talked with All Things Considered about how protests have changed in the 28 years since the Rodney King riots .
On the people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The protests and marches today you see are multiethnic , multicultural , even multigenerational .
And the allyship is something that is more pronounced now than it perhaps once was .
I think a lot of people , when they saw that video of George Floyd , who were n't in the black community , felt agony .
And I think this time around , more people feel that sympathy and empathy for members of the black community and are standing in solidarity with them .
On empathy for Rodney King vs. George @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Rodney King beating it was easier to view it as an isolated incident or as a few bad apples .
But now , over time , we see a persistent and pervasive pattern .
Over years and years .
We see Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia , 25-year-old black man jogging and is shot dead .
Two prosecutors look at the facts and do n't bring any action .
Breonna Taylor in Louisville .
No-knock raid , wrong house ; she 's killed .
The procession of hashtags that made up the Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2015 , 2016 years .
I think more and more people are seeing that it is n't just isolated incidents , that there 's something more pervasive and more ingrained in America that we have to address .
The police officer 's knee on the neck of George Floyd for many was a grim symbol of , kind of , America 's knee on the neck of black America .
On where broader protests go from here My sense of where the protests can go from here , hopefully will go from here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reckoning with the racial injustice that has really provoked and continues to provoke these kinds of eruptions .
This is this really kind of a generational upheaval .
We can either make some serious structural changes , redistribute power and wealth in a way that we have n't been willing to consider in the past .
I think more people are willing to consider things like , even just as a result of the coronavirus crisis , things like universal basic income and `` Medicare for All . ''
I think that as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis — I think that racism is a kind of virus , too , that mutates and changes from time to time , but continues to persist — that we will take on the necessary work of redistributing wealth and power in such a way that we do n't have Skid Rows , 75 % of which have black faces in them .
That we do n't make the faces at the bottom of the well always black faces .
And we do start to act as a society like black lives matter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yenigun produced and edited the audio version of this interview .

USC Professor On How Protests Have Changed Since LA Riots In 1992
Enlarge this image toggle caption Agustin Paullier/AFP via Getty Images Agustin Paullier/AFP via Getty Images
Looting, fires, vandalism and the National Guard on the streets — for many, the unrest of 2020 evokes memories of the destructive riots of 1992 in Los Angeles.
Both times the protests began in anger over police violence against black men — in 1992, when four police officers were acquitted of the brutal beating of Rodney King; now, when George Floyd died in Minnesota after a policeman knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.
"We keep telling ourselves that somehow technology or training will end police misconduct," says Jody David Armour, a law professor who studies the intersection of race and the criminal justice system.
"But in this case, we saw that in Minnesota, the police department did a lot of that stuff. And still here we are."
Armour, who has taught at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles since 1995, talked with All Things Considered about how protests have changed in the 28 years since the Rodney King riots.
Interview Highlights
On the people who are protesting now vs. in 1992
The protests and marches today you see are multiethnic, multicultural, even multigenerational. And the allyship is something that is more pronounced now than it perhaps once was. I think a lot of people, when they saw that video of George Floyd, who weren't in the black community, felt agony. And I think this time around, more people feel that sympathy and empathy for members of the black community and are standing in solidarity with them.
On empathy for Rodney King vs. George Floyd
I think at the time of the Rodney King beating it was easier to view it as an isolated incident or as a few bad apples. But now, over time, we see a persistent and pervasive pattern. Over years and years.
We see Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia, 25-year-old black man jogging and is shot dead. Two prosecutors look at the facts and don't bring any action. Breonna Taylor in Louisville. No-knock raid, wrong house; she's killed.
The procession of hashtags that made up the Black Lives Matter movement in the 2014, 2015, 2016 years. I think more and more people are seeing that it isn't just isolated incidents, that there's something more pervasive and more ingrained in America that we have to address. The police officer's knee on the neck of George Floyd for many was a grim symbol of, kind of, America's knee on the neck of black America.
On where broader protests go from here
My sense of where the protests can go from here, hopefully will go from here, is we'll have a serious reckoning with the racial injustice that has really provoked and continues to provoke these kinds of eruptions. This is this really kind of a generational upheaval. We can either make some serious structural changes, redistribute power and wealth in a way that we haven't been willing to consider in the past. I think more people are willing to consider things like, even just as a result of the coronavirus crisis, things like universal basic income and "Medicare for All."
I think that as a result of this other kind of crisis — I think that racism is a kind of virus, too, that mutates and changes from time to time, but continues to persist — that we will take on the necessary work of redistributing wealth and power in such a way that we don't have Skid Rows, 75% of which have black faces in them. That we don't make the faces at the bottom of the well always black faces. And we do start to act as a society like black lives matter.
NPR's Jonaki Mehta and Sami Yenigun produced and edited the audio version of this interview.


npr--2020-06-01--Trump Says He'll Deploy Military To States If They Don't Stop Violent Protests

Trump Says He 'll Deploy Military To States If They Do n't Stop Violent Protests Escalating his rhetoric during a period of roiling national crises , President Trump on Monday threatened to deploy the United States military to cities or states that do n't take `` necessary '' actions to halt violent protests , saying the armed forces will `` quickly solve the problem for them . ''
Trump 's Rose Garden remarks came as just across the street , law enforcement officers deployed tear gas and shot rubber bullets to forcefully disperse peaceful protesters .
Washington , D.C. , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ p.m .
ET .
The protesters were removed from the Lafayette Square area across from the White House , apparently to clear the way for the president to walk to St. John 's Episcopal Church , where he posed briefly for photographers , holding a Bible .
Parts of the church compound were damaged by rioters on Sunday night .
Trump 's remarks , which lasted less than seven minutes , came after days of protests in dozens of cities across the country following the death of George Floyd , a black man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a week ago .
During the remarks , the Republican Trump declared himself `` a law-and-order president '' and `` ally of all peaceful protesters , '' but he called violent unrest that has accompanied many demonstrations `` acts of domestic terrorism . ''
`` These are not acts of peaceful protests .
These are acts of domestic terror .
The destruction of innocent life , and the spilling of innocent blood , is an offense to humanity , and a crime against God , '' Trump said .
He added : `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why I am taking immediate presidential action to stop the violence . ''
Trump said he had mobilized `` thousands and thousands '' of `` heavily armed '' military personnel to put an end to the protests that were born from criticisms of excessive force by law enforcement .
It was not immediately clear , however , what precise changes might be in store for the personnel that have been responding to the demonstrations across the country .
The Department of Justice said in a statement that beginning Monday night , it had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and is coordinating to with the Department of Defense , the Department of Homeland Security and local authorities to `` maximize federal security presence throughout the District . ''
Threatening state governors who have declined to deploy the National Guard , Trump said he would dispatch the U.S. military to `` quickly resolve the problem for them . ''
After the stop at St. John 's church , Trump and a retinue of advisers and staffers then returned to the secure enclave within the White House complex .
Protests , which have at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , continued from the weekend into Monday , following the video-recorded death of Floyd , who died after a white officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes .
Protesters — many of whom have worn masks because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic — have demanded the involved officers be held accountable for Floyd 's death .
Derek Chauvin , the officer who knelt on Floyd 's neck , has been arrested and charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter .
Three other officers who were involved in the incident have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Several major cities , including Washington , D.C. , were placed under curfews following the unrest .
Trump 's walk to the nearby church , which he does not typically visit , technically violated the District 's Monday curfew for a little time .
The National Guard has been deployed in many states , and the president on Monday called for governors to `` dominate '' in their states to put an end to the protests .
His remarks Monday stand in stark contrast to the position he took toward heavily armed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stormed the Michigan statehouse in defiance of stay-at-home orders to demand a reopening of the state economy amid the coronavirus pandemic .
Trump described those protesters as `` very good people '' and called on the governor `` give a little '' to appease them .
The protests against police violence come against the backdrop of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic , which has caused more than 100,000 deaths in the U.S. already , with black Americans disproportionately affected .

Trump Says He'll Deploy Military To States If They Don't Stop Violent Protests
Enlarge this image toggle caption Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images
Updated at 9:31 p.m. ET
Escalating his rhetoric during a period of roiling national crises, President Trump on Monday threatened to deploy the U.S. military to cities or states that don't take "necessary" actions to halt violent protests, saying the armed forces will "quickly solve the problem for them."
Trump's Rose Garden remarks came as just across the street, law enforcement officers deployed tear gas and shot rubber bullets to forcefully disperse peaceful protesters. Washington, D.C., had set a curfew Monday of 7 p.m. ET.
The protesters were removed from the Lafayette Square area across from the White House, apparently to clear the way for the president to walk to St. John's Church, where he posed briefly for photographers, holding a Bible. Parts of the church compound were damaged by rioters on Sunday night.
In a statement, Judd Deere, the White House's deputy press secretary, said: "The perimeter was expanded to help enforce the 7 p.m. curfew in the same area where rioters attempted to burn down one of our nation's most historic churches the night before. Protesters were given three warnings by the U.S. Park Police."
toggle caption Patrick Semansky/AP
Trump's remarks, which lasted less than seven minutes, came after days of protests in dozens of cities across the U.S. following the death of George Floyd, a black man who died in police custody in Minneapolis a week ago.
During the remarks, Trump declared himself "a law-and-order president" and "ally of all peaceful protesters," but he called violent unrest that has accompanied many demonstrations "acts of domestic terror."
"These are not acts of peaceful protests. These are acts of domestic terror. The destruction of innocent life, and the spilling of innocent blood, is an offense to humanity and a crime against God," Trump said.
He added: "Our country always wins. That is why I am taking immediate presidential action to stop the violence."
Trump said he had mobilized "thousands and thousands" of "heavily armed" military personnel to put an end to the protests, which were born from criticisms of excessive force by law enforcement.
It was not immediately clear, however, what precise changes might be in store for the personnel who have been responding to the demonstrations across the country.
The Justice Department said in a statement that beginning Monday night, it had deployed all of its law enforcement components and is coordinating with the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security and local authorities to "maximize federal security presence throughout the District [of Columbia]."
Threatening state governors who have declined to deploy the National Guard, Trump said he would dispatch the U.S. military to "quickly solve the problem for them."
After the stop at St. John's Church, Trump and a retinue of advisers and staffers then returned to the secure enclave within the White House complex.
Nation in crisis
Protests, which have at times broken out into violence and looting, continued from the weekend into Monday, following the video-recorded death of Floyd, who died after a white officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.
Protesters — many of whom have worn masks because of the coronavirus pandemic — have demanded that the officers involved be held accountable for Floyd's death.
Derek Chauvin, the officer who knelt on Floyd's neck, has been arrested and charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Three other officers who were involved in the incident have been fired but have not been charged.
Several major cities, including Washington, D.C., were placed under curfews following the unrest. Trump's walk to the nearby church, which he does not typically visit, technically violated the District of Columbia's Monday curfew for a little time.
The National Guard has been deployed in many states, and the president on Monday called for governors to "dominate" in their states to put an end to the protests.
His remarks Monday stand in stark contrast to the position he took toward heavily armed majority-white protesters last month, who stormed the Michigan statehouse in defiance of stay-at-home orders to demand a reopening of the state economy amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Trump described those protesters as "very good people" and called on the governor to "give a little" to appease them.
The protests against police violence come against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic, which has caused more than 100,000 deaths in the U.S., with black Americans disproportionately affected.
With reporting by Tamara Keith


npr--2020-06-01--'It's Like A Nightmare': Options Dwindle For Renters Facing Economic Distress

'It 's Like A Nightmare ' : Options Dwindle For Renters Facing Economic Distress As one of the country 's worst economic and health crises in history deepens , rent is due again for millions of people who are struggling to make ends meet .
Over the last few months , states and the federal government have taken steps to help tenants who 've lost their jobs .
Now , while the unemployment rate is still climbing , some of the protections for renters are running out .
An extra $ 600 a week in unemployment benefits for eligible people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of July , for instance .
In March , Elaine Slikkerveer lost her job teaching art for a nonprofit in Reno , Nev. , as a result of the coronavirus pandemic .
Now , the single mother of two is struggling to pay the rent and has had to consider uprooting her family from the condo they 've rented for 10 years .
`` I have anxiety .
I ca n't sleep , '' 51-year-old Slikkerveer says .
To make her April and May rent , she stopped making payments on other bills @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dug into her savings .
When she reached out to her landlord to discuss June rent , she says that he was not understanding and insisted she needed to pay .
Last week , Slikkerveer 's landlord , John Burkett , told NPR : `` I sympathize with Elaine 's current situation and am working with her to ease the stress , '' adding that `` rental income is my only income so this is definitely putting a burden on me as well . ''
In the end , Slikkerveer says that Burkett @ @ @ @ @ @ @ figure out a payment plan .
Slikkerveer says that six months ago , she could never have imagined being in a situation like this .
`` I never dreamed about it .
And to be honest with you , it 's like a nightmare .
It 's a lot of uncertainty , '' she says .
`` I was planning , had everything planned .
And nothing in my plan is working .
I mean , I have nothing right now . ''
As tenants across the U.S. run out of options , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cards to pay the rent .
It reported that from March to April , the number of tenants putting rent on a credit card increased 30 % ; from April to May , it went up another 20 % .
As of now , about half the states in the U.S. are allowing evictions , according to Emily Benfer of Columbia Law School , who has been tracking state policies around COVID-19 and housing .
Benfer called COVID-19 `` a great magnifier of inequity and health injustice across our country . ''
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at higher rates than white people , especially mothers with kids .
`` Today , the net worth of a typical white family is nearly 10 times greater than that of a black family , '' Benfer says .
`` We can expect this divide to widen as COVID-19 mortality and job loss continues to affect communities of color at a higher rate than other groups . ''
Some places , such as Kansas City , Mo.
, are conducting remote eviction hearings by phone or videoconference — effectively deciding that while it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in court , it is safe enough to evict someone from their home .
Over the last couple of months , there has n't been a steep drop-off in the number of people paying rent .
The question is what will happen in the next few months .
`` We 're watching a tidal wave move forward towards us and across the state , '' says Lee Camp , an attorney with ArchCity Defenders , a St. Louis nonprofit organization that represents tenants .
He says that the group 's phones have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assistance .
As the state reopens and evictions resume , he predicts that the tidal wave could be `` all-consuming for the next few months , if not years . ''
There are some variables that will help determine how massive that wave will be .
For instance , if Congress does n't pass an extension of the extra unemployment benefits , tens of millions more renters could be in trouble .
Before the wave of protests against police violence started , activists around the country were holding rallies to `` cancel the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my community and my neighbors who have to choose between putting food on the table and housing , '' says Lomanto , 26 .
`` And then also putting themselves at risk to work . ''
Lomanto owned a pet care business in West Philadelphia before shutting it down in March .
Lomanto , who uses the pronoun they , does n't know how they 're going to pay rent for June .
Lomanto sublets an apartment that 's managed by a company named New Age Realty and is among the 300 tenants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the pandemic .
Lance Roger , a real estate lawyer who represents New Age Realty , offers the landlord perspective .
`` A lot of these properties are owned by investors , and these are hardworking men and women who are investing for their future , '' he says .
`` So what they 've done is gone out and gotten mortgages , and when the tenants decide en masse they do n't want to pay their rent , it 's going to impact the ability for the landlords to make their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and more mortgages go unpaid , Rogers says , it could have a domino effect with broader impacts on the economy .
In 2008 , the financial collapse hit homeowners more than it did renters — but the ripples spread beyond mortgage holders .
This time , if tenants across the country ca n't pay the rent , the ripples could reach far beyond the rental market .

'It's Like A Nightmare': Options Dwindle For Renters Facing Economic Distress
Enlarge this image toggle caption Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images
As one of the country's worst economic and health crises in history deepens, rent is due again for millions of people who are struggling to make ends meet.
Over the last few months, states and the federal government have taken steps to help tenants who've lost their jobs. Now, while the unemployment rate is still climbing, some of the protections for renters are running out.
An extra $600 a week in unemployment benefits for eligible people is set to expire at the end of July, for instance.
In March, Elaine Slikkerveer lost her job teaching art for a nonprofit in Reno, Nev., as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Now, the single mother of two is struggling to pay the rent and has had to consider uprooting her family from the condo they've rented for 10 years.
"I have anxiety. I can't sleep," 51-year-old Slikkerveer says.
To make her April and May rent, she stopped making payments on other bills, used her government relief checks and dug into her savings. When she reached out to her landlord to discuss June rent, she says that he was not understanding and insisted she needed to pay.
Last week, Slikkerveer's landlord, John Burkett, told NPR: "I sympathize with Elaine's current situation and am working with her to ease the stress," adding that "rental income is my only income so this is definitely putting a burden on me as well."
In the end, Slikkerveer says that Burkett agreed to waive her late fee and figure out a payment plan.
Slikkerveer says that six months ago, she could never have imagined being in a situation like this.
"I never dreamed about it. And to be honest with you, it's like a nightmare. It's a lot of uncertainty," she says. "I was planning, had everything planned. And nothing in my plan is working. I mean, I have nothing right now."
As tenants across the U.S. run out of options, more and more are turning to credit cards to pay the rent.
Property management company Zego processes millions of rent checks every month.
It reported that from March to April, the number of tenants putting rent on a credit card increased 30%; from April to May, it went up another 20%.
As of now, about half the states in the U.S. are allowing evictions, according to Emily Benfer of Columbia Law School, who has been tracking state policies around COVID-19 and housing.
Benfer called COVID-19 "a great magnifier of inequity and health injustice across our country." She says that people of color are evicted at higher rates than white people, especially mothers with kids.
"Today, the net worth of a typical white family is nearly 10 times greater than that of a black family," Benfer says. "We can expect this divide to widen as COVID-19 mortality and job loss continues to affect communities of color at a higher rate than other groups."
Some places, such as Kansas City, Mo., are conducting remote eviction hearings by phone or videoconference — effectively deciding that while it's not safe enough to show up in court, it is safe enough to evict someone from their home.
Over the last couple of months, there hasn't been a steep drop-off in the number of people paying rent. The question is what will happen in the next few months.
"We're watching a tidal wave move forward towards us and across the state," says Lee Camp, an attorney with ArchCity Defenders, a St. Louis nonprofit organization that represents tenants.
He says that the group's phones have been flooded with calls from people seeking housing assistance. As the state reopens and evictions resume, he predicts that the tidal wave could be "all-consuming for the next few months, if not years."
There are some variables that will help determine how massive that wave will be. For instance, if Congress doesn't pass an extension of the extra unemployment benefits, tens of millions more renters could be in trouble.
Before the wave of protests against police violence started, activists around the country were holding rallies to "cancel the rent."
Ale Lomanto helps organize demonstrations in Philadelphia.
"I feel for my community and my neighbors who have to choose between putting food on the table and housing," says Lomanto, 26. "And then also putting themselves at risk to work."
Economy Economic Fallout From COVID-19 Is Hard On Landlords Too Economic Fallout From COVID-19 Is Hard On Landlords Too Listen · 6:26 6:26
Lomanto owned a pet care business in West Philadelphia before shutting it down in March. Lomanto, who uses the pronoun they, doesn't know how they're going to pay rent for June. Lomanto sublets an apartment that's managed by a company named New Age Realty and is among the 300 tenants petitioning for the suspension of rent payments during the pandemic.
Lance Roger, a real estate lawyer who represents New Age Realty, offers the landlord perspective.
"A lot of these properties are owned by investors, and these are hardworking men and women who are investing for their future," he says. "So what they've done is gone out and gotten mortgages, and when the tenants decide en masse they don't want to pay their rent, it's going to impact the ability for the landlords to make their mortgage payments."
And if more and more mortgages go unpaid, Rogers says, it could have a domino effect with broader impacts on the economy.
In 2008, the financial collapse hit homeowners more than it did renters — but the ripples spread beyond mortgage holders.
This time, if tenants across the country can't pay the rent, the ripples could reach far beyond the rental market.


npr--2020-06-01--Louisville Police Chief Fired After Black Man Is Shot To Death

Louisville Police Chief Fired After Black Man Is Shot To Death Louisville , Ky. , resident David McAtee was shot and killed during a police response to a curfew violation early Monday .
Both police and National Guard members were on the scene and fired shots .
The incident has led to the firing of the police chief .
State and local leaders called for the release of police body-camera footage , but Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer announced Monday that officers on the scene had not activated their body cameras .
Fischer also said that Louisville Police Chief Steve Conrad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the shooting .
Conrad was already due to retire amid criticism related to the controversy surrounding the death of Breonna Taylor in March .
According to member station WFPL , the incident that resulted in McAtee 's death took place at a gas station in Louisville 's predominantly black West End .
McAtee , who was black , operated a barbecue business nearby .
No protests were taking place there , but the National Guard and Louisville police were called in to respond to a large gathering and enforce the city 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his post , Conrad said that the police and National Guard were shot at first and that the shots that killed McAtee were fired in response .
Kentucky Gov .
Andy Beshear tweeted in a statement that `` [ the Louisville Metro Police Department ] and the Kentucky National Guard returned fire resulting in a death . ''
The incident is now under investigation by local and state authorities , according to a report from Louisville 's Courier-Journal .
According to the mayor , the two Louisville police officers who fired their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on administrative leave pending the investigation .

Louisville Police Chief Fired After Black Man Is Shot To Death
Enlarge this image toggle caption Stephen J. Cohen/Getty Images Stephen J. Cohen/Getty Images
Louisville, Ky., resident David McAtee was shot and killed during a police response to a curfew violation early Monday. Both police and National Guard members were on the scene and fired shots. The incident has led to the firing of the police chief.
State and local leaders called for the release of police body-camera footage, but Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer announced Monday that officers on the scene had not activated their body cameras. Fischer also said that Louisville Police Chief Steve Conrad was relieved of command in the wake of the shooting. Conrad was already due to retire amid criticism related to the controversy surrounding the death of Breonna Taylor in March.
According to member station WFPL, the incident that resulted in McAtee's death took place at a gas station in Louisville's predominantly black West End. McAtee, who was black, operated a barbecue business nearby. No protests were taking place there, but the National Guard and Louisville police were called in to respond to a large gathering and enforce the city's 9 p.m. curfew. Before being relieved of his post, Conrad said that the police and National Guard were shot at first and that the shots that killed McAtee were fired in response.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear tweeted in a statement that "[the Louisville Metro Police Department] and the Kentucky National Guard returned fire resulting in a death."
The incident is now under investigation by local and state authorities, according to a report from Louisville's Courier-Journal. According to the mayor, the two Louisville police officers who fired their weapons in the altercation have been put on administrative leave pending the investigation.