CNN has reported that its correspondent Omar Jimenez and his crew have been released from police custody. Jimenez, along with producer Bill Kirkos and photojournalist Leonel Mendez, were arrested earlier this morning live on air, while covering the protests.

A flash mob under the American consulate in Milan to protest the death of George Floyd. See a selection of pictures below.

Governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz said he “deeply apologizes” after the arrest of a CNN journalist and his crew. He added that he is working to have the CNN team released immediately.

Walz described the arrests as “unacceptable,” and said CNN’s team clearly has the right to be there. He added that he wants the media to be in Minnesota to cover the protests.

Hello. I am running the Guardian’s live feed from London, bringing you the latest updates on the Minneapolis protests. Please do get in touch with me if you have any information to share.

Twitter: @sloumarsh
Instagram: sarah_marsh_journalist
Email: sarah.marsh@theguardian.com

The arrest of the CNN crew in Minneapolis “did not make any sense, according to a former police chief who now serves as a CNN law enforcement analyst.

“The state police are going to have a lot to answer for with this arrest here,” said Charles Ramsey. “He’s standing there, he identified himself. You can see his credentials. Just move him to your want him to be.”

Ramsey added that the there was “no way something like that should occur.”

“I don’t know where the person in command of that platoon is. But that’s an individual who is definitely not taking charge,” he added.

CNN has criticized the arrest of one of its teams on the ground in Minneapolis in a tweet this morning, and called for their release.

They tweeted:

The Minnesota State Patrol arrested a CNN reporter reporting live on television early Friday morning while covering the Minneapolis protests, without giving any reason, and led him and three crew members away in handcuffs.

Reporter Omar Jiminez had just shown a protester being arrested when about half a dozen white police officers surrounded him.

“We can move back to where you like,” he told the officers wearing gas masks and face shields, before explaining that he and his crew were members of the press. “We’re getting out of your way.”

A Mississippi mayor whose remarks about the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody is refusing calls to resign, including from his own town’s board of aldermen.

“Why in the world would anyone choose to become a police officer in our society today?” Petal Mayor Hal Marx tweeted Tuesday, the day four Minneapolis police officers were fired.

In a follow-up tweet, the Republican directly referenced the Floyd case, saying he didn’t see anything unreasonable: “If you can say you can’t breathe, you’re breathing. Most likely that man died of overdose or heart attack. Video doesn’t show his resistance that got him in that position. Police being crucified.

Javon Patterson, an offensive lineman with the Indianapolis Colts, and Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Anthony Alford both criticized Marx on social media.

“How could you watch this disturbing video and make such an idiotic comment. But this guy is supposed to be the leader of the friendly city,’ Alford, a Petal High School alumnus, wrote on Facebook. This is why it’s important to vote people. You don’t want people like Mayor Hal Marx in charge.

Marx’s Twitter account no longer exists.

Police nationwide, in unequivocal and unprecedented language, have condemned the actions of Minneapolis police in the custody death of a handcuffed black man who cried for help as an officer knelt on his neck, pinning him to the pavement for at least eight minutes.

But some civil rights advocates say their denunciations are empty words without meaningful reform behind them.

Authorities say George Floyd was detained Monday because he matched the description of someone who tried to pay with a counterfeit bill at a convenience store, and the 46-year-old resisted arrest. A disturbing video shows Officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, kneeling on Floyd’s neck, even as Floyd begs for air and slowly stops talking and moving.

There is no need to see more video, Chattanooga, Tennessee, Police Chief David Roddy tweeted Wednesday. |There no need to wait to see how it plays out. There is no need to put a knee on someone’s neck for NINE minutes. There IS a need to DO something. If you wear a badge and you dont have an issue with this ... turn it in.”

Sheriffs and police chiefs have strongly criticized the Minneapolis officer on social media and praised the city’s police chief for his quick dismissal of four officers at the scene. Some even called for them to be criminally charged.

“I am deeply disturbed by the video of Mr. Floyd being murdered in the street with other officers there letting it go on”, Polk County, Georgia, Sheriff Johnny Moats wrote on Facebook. “I can assure everyone, me or any of my deputies will never treat anyone like that as long as Im Sheriff. This kind of brutality is terrible and it needs to stop. All Officers involved need to be arrested and charged immediately. Praying for the family.”

Footage of CNN reporter and his crew being arrested live on air.

Police and fire engines have arrived at the centre of the protests in Minneapolis. CNN crew on the site reported that they witnessed the authorities arriving to the scene just after 4:30 am ET.

More on Donald Trump’s tweet that was flagged by Twitter for “glorifying violence”.

Protesters angry over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody turned out for a demonstration in Columbus that began peacefully but turned violent, leaving smashed storefront windows along downtown streets around the statehouse.

The crowd of around 400 people entered into a standoff with Columbus police Thursday night, blocking the intersection of key streets in the Ohio capital for hours, the Columbus Dispatch reported.

The demonstration began as a peaceful protest, but news outlets reported protesters began throwing objects like water bottles at officers, who responded by using tear gas on the crowd. A scuffle between a protester and an officer broke out around 9:45 pm, WCMH-TV reported.

Some protesters attempted to breach the Ohio Statehouse later Thursday, the TV station reported, sharing photographs of what appeared to be smashed windows at the statehouse.

Calls and emails to Columbus police and the Ohio State Highway Patrol, which covers Capitol security, from The Associated Press weren’t returned overnight.

“I understand why some residents are angry and taking to the streets. I have said many times that racism exists across the country, state and right here in Columbus. We are committed to addressing racism wherever we see it, Mayor Andrew Ginther tweeted before 9 p.m. I respect peaceful protests and ask residents to remain peaceful in their actions tonight and every night.”

Hello everyone. I am running the Guardian’s live feed from London, bringing you the latest updates on the Minneapolis protests. Please do get in touch with me if you have any information to share via any of the channels below.

Twitter: @sloumarsh
Instagram: sarah_marsh_journalist
Email: sarah.marsh@theguardian.com

The latest news story on the events in Minneapolis.

Twitter accused President Donald Trump on Friday of “glorifying violence”, attaching a disclaimer to one of his tweets about unrest in Minneapolis that it said broke its rules.

“...These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won*t let that happen. Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts. Thank you!” Trump’s tweet read.

Trump’s message can now be read only after clicking on a notice which says: “This Tweet violated the Twitter Rules about glorifying violence. However, Twitter has determined that it may be in the public’s interest for the Tweet to remain accessible.”

In a thread, Twitter said it had taken the action “in the interest of preventing others from being inspired to commit violent acts”. People will still “be able to retweet with comment, but will not be able to like, reply or retweet it.”

Twitter’s action came just hours after Trump said he would introduce legislation that may scrap or weaken a law that has protected internet companies, including Twitter and Facebook , in an extraordinary attempt to regulate social media platforms where he has been criticized.

The proposed legislation is part of an executive order Trump signed on Thursday afternoon. Trump had attacked Twitter for tagging tweets about unsubstantiated claims of fraud about mail-in voting with a warning prompting readers to fact-check the posts.

Below are a selection of images on the events in Minneapolis as there was a third night of unrest in Minneapolis.

Twitter said that it blocked a post by Donald Trump on Twitter for policy violation, “regarding the glorification of violence based on the historical context of the last line”. Below is some more context on the connections associated with it.

Twitter has blocked a post by Donald Trump saying that it violates their policies “regarding the glorification of violence based on the historical context of the last line”.

It said that the tweet’s connection to violence meant there was a “risk it could inspire similar actions today”.

The tweet from Trump said that “thugs” were dishonoring the memory of George Floyd. The last line said said that when “looting starts, shooting starts”.

Protesters torched a Minneapolis police station that the department was forced to abandon as three days of violent protests spread to nearby St Paul and angry demonstrations flared across the US over the death of George Floyd, a handcuffed black man who pleaded for air as a white police officer kneeled on his neck.

A police spokesman confirmed late Thursday that staff had evacuated the 3rd Precinct station, the focus of many of the protests, in the interest of the safety of our personnel” shortly after 10 p.m.

Livestream video showed the protesters entering the building, where fire alarms blared and sprinklers ran as blazes were set.
Protesters could be seen setting fire to a Minneapolis Police Department jacket.

The Guardian’s Chris McGreal has been on the ground and said that there were still people “milling around”.

He said: “Every now and then someone shouts ‘national guard is coming’ and panic ensues and and groups run but mostly it is just people standing around watching buildings burn and occasionally groups of mostly young men targeting different buildings.”

He said there were half a dozen buildings still burning and thousands still around, although he noted the crowd had thinned out. “It’s now 2am or so and there is still extensive looting going on, people continuing to break into businesses.”

However, he added that the “atmosphere has deteriorated”, although earlier it became more aggressive with crowds leaving as they were getting fearful. There is still no sign of law enforcement.

“People are turning up in cars but most of the really big stores have been comprehensively looted by now ... I would expect people to be protesting for days to come and the big question is will they send the police out?,” he added.

Around the area is a residential neighbourhood and the fire brigade has turned up to put out fires on the edge of that area. But other areas have just been left to burn. “It is unusual [for the police to evacuate]. I was in Ferguson six years ago during the Michael Brown protest and looting and police did not pull out and it is unusual for them to just simply abandon an area,” he said.

Among those businesses looted it a medical clinic, as well as a Target store which was looted for fizzy drinks and snacks that were then piled up in a carpark by protestors and given to those who needed. “It became an unofficial market for protestors,” McGreal said.

Follow more from him here.

Hello everyone. My name is Sarah Marsh and I am taking over the Guardian’s live feed, bringing you the latest updates on the Minneapolis protests. Please do get in touch with me via any of the channels below.

Twitter: @sloumarsh
Instagram: sarah_marsh_journalist
Email: sarah.marsh@theguardian.com

Here is the video of the Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey responding to those tweets from US president Donald Trump.

Frey faced questions about the apparent absence of police and the National Guard on the city’s streets. He was pointedly asked by one reporter: “who is in charge?”. He directed questions about the role of police to the city’s commissioner, but called the protests “unacceptable”.

Frey:

There is a lot of pain and anger right now in our city. I understand that, our entire city recognises that. What we have seen over the past several hours and past several nights in terms of looting is unacceptable. Our community cannot and will not tolerate it ... We are working with our officers right now of course, with resources provided by the state ... It was clear as of last night [that] we needed additional help and we got that, some form the state and we are expecting more as well.”

Frey, in that press conference just now, also addressed the decision to abandon the city’s third precinct police station. He said he made the order for police to evacuate the building, which it appears has since been significantly damaged by fire, after reports of “imminent threats to both officers and the public”

The symbolism of a building cannot outweigh the importance of the lives of our officers or the public. We could not risk serious injury to anyone and we will continue to parol the third precinct entirely. We will continue to do our jobs in that area. Brick and mortar is not as important as life.”

Protestors reportedly breaking glass windows of the state house in Columbus, Ohio.

Reports that Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey will hold a press conference shortly.

Here’s our updated video on fires that have erupted in Minneapolis, and the protests sweeping across the US in wake of George Floyd’s death.

Chris McGreal, our reporter on the ground in Minneapolis, has just posted this footage to Twitter:

Andrea Jenkins, the vice president of Minneapolis City Council, has told MSNBC that George Floyd had previously worked with one of the police officers fired after his death.

AP reports that at least seven people were shot Thursday night in Louisville, Kentucky, as protesters turned out to demand justice for Breonna Taylor, a black woman fatally shot by police in her home in March.

It comes amid demonstrations across the country following the death of a black man, George Floyd, in Minneapolis police custody.

Louisville Metro Police confirmed in a statement early Friday that there were at least seven shooting victims, at least one of whom is in critical condition. The statement said there were some arrests, but police didn’t provide a number. Police had initially confirmed reports of gunfire around 11:30 p.m.

Police spokesman Sgt. Lamont Washington told The Associated Press that all seven were civilians. Around 500 to 600 demonstrators marched through the Kentucky city’s downtown streets on Thursday night, the Courier Journal reported.

Understandably, emotions are high, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer tweeted just before midnight, sharing a Facebook post asking for peace that he said was written on behalf of Taylor’s mother.

Taylor, a 26-year-old emergency medical tech, was shot eight times on March 13 after Louisville narcotics detectives knocked down the front door. No drugs were found in the home.

Attention on Taylor’s death has intensified after her family sued the police department earlier this month. The case has attracted national headlines alongside the shooting of Ahmaud Arbery in a Georgia neighborhood in February.

As the US grapples with a third night of protests over the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis, here is what we know so far:

Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey: “We all need to work together to ensure the safety of our friends, family, and Minneapolis residents. And right now working together means clearing the area.”

St Paul police department reports over 170 businesses damaged or looted, and dozens of fires but no reports of serious injuries.

The official city account has tweeted this. It is, however, important to note it is saying it is relying on unconfirmed reports.

From AP, speaking to people around the protests:

“We’re burning our own neighborhood,” said a distraught Deona Brown, a 24-year-old woman standing with a friend outside the precinct station, where a small group of protesters were shouting at a dozen or so stone-faced police officers in riot gear.

“This is where we live, where we shop, and they destroyed it.” No officers could be seen beyond the station.

“What that cop did was wrong, but I’m scared now,” Brown said.

Others in the crowd saw something different in the wreckage.

Protesters destroyed property “because the system is broken,” said a young man who identified himself only by his nickname, Cash, and who said he had been in the streets during the violence. He dismissed the idea that the destruction would hurt residents of the largely black neighborhood.

“They’re making money off of us,” he said angrily of the owners of the destroyed stores.

He laughed when asked if he had joined in the looting or violence. “I didn’t break anything.”

From The Guardian’s Chris McGreal:

As darkness fell the mood soured further and protesters again began burning buildings. They hit a liquor store, where exploding bottles sent people scurrying in fear, and a pawn shop.

But the primary target was the 3rd precinct police station, where a group of young men broke through the wire fence hastily erected before the police withdrew earlier in the day. As the fire grew they led chants of George Floyd’s name and “No justice, no peace” until flames engulfed the building. Protesters cheered and celebrated with fireworks.

Police officers watched from two blocks away but did not intervene. Fire crews attempted to put out other fires but did not go near the police station. As the fire spread, thousands more protesters poured into the area. Rumors were shouted amongst the crows that the national guard were on their way, and people began to run, but so far there is no evidence of any outside intervention by force.

Local businesses, including a wine shop are on fire.

Crowds have also lit fireworks.

The Minnesota National Guard has sent 500 soldiers to St. Paul, Minneapolis and surrounding areas.

The Minneapolis police have confirmed that at 10pm local time, officers evacuated the 3rd precinct station. “Protestors forcibly entered the building and have ignited several fires,” a spokesperson for the Minneapolis PD said in a statement.

The Guardian’s Chris McGreal is at the precinct.

In Minneapolis, it seems officers are being evacuated from the 3rd precinct police station, the main protest site, per the scanner.

There is fire at the precinct, the crowd seems to have broken in.

In Minneapolis, an officer in a squad car was captured on video pepper-spraying protesters and bystanders on the street.

The Guardian’s Chris McGreal reports from the Twin Cities:

The battered police station for the Minneapolis 3rd Precinct, sealed off behind wire fencing, looked virtually abandoned on Thursday evening. There was not an officer in sight as a large march of protesters moved off toward the city center chanting demands for justice, carrying signs “I can’t breathe!!” and “Fuck Donald Trump”, and accompanied by a large skull on a bike wearing a police hat. The march passed burned out buildings still smoldering from Wednesday night’s attacks.

Other people made their point standing for hours on hundreds of street corners.

It was a different story 15 minutes to the east of where Floyd died, in neighboring St Paul, where a group of several hundred protesters faced down the police at a shopping mall. As the crowd swelled, and some attempted to break into a Target store, the police fired rubber bullets and then tear gas. The mood worsened and groups broke away to begin attacking other businesses, including a health clinic, restaurants and a phone store set on fire.

The protests in the Twin cities are ongoing.

The fire department is quelling a blaze outside the police station in the 3rd precinct, per reports from local journalists. Police have used tear gas, rubber bullets and flashbangs against protestors, and the national guard have arrived at the protests.

Martin Luther King III, a human rights leader and son of the late Martin Luther King, Jr posted a video of his father explaining that “a riot is the language of the unheard”.

“A man was lynched. In broad daylight. In public. In America. In 2020,” King III said. “And the men responsible have not been arrested. We will not stay quiet.”

The US Justice Department has said it has made an investigation into George Floyd’s death a “top priority” as thousands continue to take to the streets across the country demanding justice for Floyd and an end to police brutality.

The FBI is also investigating whether the police officers involved violated federal laws. State agencies in Minnesota have also launched investigations.

Two of the police officers who restrained Floyd were previously involved in violent incidents while on duty, according to a database that documents instances of police brutality.

Derek Chauvin, officer seen in video footage from the incident with his knee on Floyd’s neck had 18 prior complaints filed against him while he was on the force, according to the Minneapolis police department. He and three other officers involved have been fired.

In a video, Chauvin is seen kneeling on Floyd’s neck for nine minutes, as Floyd pleaded that he couldn’t breathe. The officers responded to a call from a grocery store that siad Floyd has used a forged check to pay.

The Guardian’s Chris McGreal brings us more from the Twin Cities:

In Oakland a protest near city hall drew a small but vocal crowd of about 50 to 75 people.

The Guardian’s Mario Koran reports:

Demonstrators took turns rallying the group. “Every day I wake up is an act of mother fucking resistance. I wake up and I’m risking my life,” said Monifa Dayo, a local resident. “Every day we can and need to do something to dismantle white supremacy.”

Aisha Friedman-Nerian, an 18-year-old from Berkeley, had helped organize the event, saying the news in Minneapolis made her decided “enough is enough”.

“I saw that and I said, ‘It’s time to get it poppin in the Bay,” she said. “It’s time to disrupt white peoples’ spaces. Because they violate our spaces, our bodies, everyday.”

“We’re tired of seeing our black and brown brothers and sisters become a hashtag,” said Hadassah Zenore-Davis, a 16-year-old from Berkeley. “We’re in the middle of global pandemic and they still show us no humanity.”

In Denver, protestors have blocked a highway.

Here’s more from a photojournalist for Denver7, KMGH-TV:

In New York City, have arrested around 40 protesters, according to the NYPD.

Officers have used tear gas and apprehended protestors demonstrating against police brutality. Those apprehended were charged with assault of a police officer, criminal possession of a weapon, and civil disobedience.

Here’s more from Minneapolis:

In Colorado, protesters have gathered at the capitol again.

Shots were heard outside the state capitol earlier, as demonstrators gathered to protest police brutality.

A spokesman for the Colorado State Patrol told The Denver Post that he wasn’t aware of any injuries.

The protestors organized to demand “justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Sean Reed & Others.” Taylor, an EMT, was shot and killed in her apartment by a police officer in Kentucky. Reed was shot and killed by police in Indiana.

The UN high commissioner for human rights, Michelle Bachelet, has condemned the killing of George Floyd, urging the US to “take serious action to stop such killings, and to ensure justice is done when they do occur”.

More from her statement:

This is the latest in a long line of killings of unarmed African Americans by US police officers and members of the public,” Bachelet said. “I am dismayed to have to add George Floyd’s name to that of Breonna Taylor, Eric Garner, Michael Brown and many other unarmed African Americans who have died over the years at the hands of the police -- as well as people such as Ahmaud Arbery and Trayvon Martin who were killed by armed members of the public.”

And here are some photos from the protests in Minneapolis.

More scenes from New York, where police have been arresting protesters.

At protests in New York, Police have made arrests.

In Colorado, where demonstrators have also gathered to protest police violence, state representatives said there were shots fired outside the capitol. The state patrol ushered protestors inside for safety, according to a reporter for the Denver Post:

The Republican National Committee has sent a letter to the governor of North Carolina, outlining the safety measures that need to be in place if the RNC were to go ahead with hosting its convention in Charlotte.

The New York Times first reported on the letter, which asks governor Roy Cooper to set safety conditions and guidelines prior to the convention.

“We do not have solid guidelines from the state and cannot in good faith ask thousands of visitors to begin paying deposits and making travel plans without knowing the full commitment of the governor,” the letter reads.

RNC officials have asked Cooper to approve health checks and screenings for convention attendees, among other safety measures.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has declared a local emergency. A declaration from his office indicates that the city has requested assistance from the state, including the intervention of the national guard, to help local authorities restore “safety and calm due to the civil disturbance”.

The state’s governor Tim Walz has also declared a state of emergency in Minneapolis, St Paul and surrounding areas.

Demonstrators across the country are taking to the streets after George Floyd’s killing. Floyd’s family has called for murder charges against the officers involved in his arrest.

But Michael Freeman, the Hennepin County attorney, said he didn’t want to discuss the investigation into Floyd’s death.

During the news conference, a reporter asked Freeman: “I think people will be hard-pressed to understand how you can’t bring charges at least against the officer who had his knee on the neck.”

Freeman replied: “It is a violation of my ethics to talk and evaluate evidence before we announce our charging decision. And I will not do that. I will say this, that video is graphic and horrific and terrible and no person should do that. But my job in the end is to prove he violated a criminal statute. And there is other evidence that does not support a criminal charge. We need to wade through all of that evidence and come to a meaningful decision and we are doing that to the best of our ability.”

The four Minneapolis officers involved in the killing of George Floyd were swiftly fired after footage of his death went viral. But that doesn’t mean they’re permanently losing their badges.

Officers in the US are frequently rehired after their termination for misconduct, a problem that experts say increases the likelihood of abuse and killings by police.

Despite the decision on Tuesday to fire the policeman who knelt on Floyd’s neck for nine minutes, along with three other officers at the scene, it’s uncertain if the officers will face long-term repercussions.

On the contrary, some civil rights advocates warn the men could ultimately avoid legal and financial consequences, continue working in other police departments or even win back their positions.

That’s how policing works across America, researchers and activists said, and it’s a process that can drag victims’ families through years of court proceedings and media attention, with minimal relief at the end.

Catherine Cortez Masto, a Democratic senator of Nevada, announced that she is not interested in serving as Joe Biden’s running mate.

Cortez Masto, who in 2016 became the first Latina elected to the Senate, was one of the women regarded as a contender in the 2020 veepstakes. Today, she announced she’s not interested in the job.

“I support Joe Biden 100% and will work tirelessly to help get him elected this November. It is an honor to be considered as a potential running mate but I have decided to withdraw my name from consideration,” she said in a statement.

She noted that Nevada’s economy was one of the hardest hit, and she wants to focus on helping her state recover.

In 2016, Cortex Masto, 56, became the first Latina elected to the Senate.

Here are some dispatches from the George Floyd protests in the Twin cities, from the Guardian’s Chris McGreal:

Here’s the full text of Trump’s executive order.

This bit is especially on-brand for Trump, and a bit unusual for a legal document:

Twitter now selectively decides to place a warning label on certain tweets in a manner that clearly reflects political bias. As has been reported, Twitter seems never to have placed such a label on another politician’s tweet. As recently as last week, Representative Adam Schiff was continuing to mislead his followers by peddling the long-disproved Russian Collusion Hoax, and Twitter did not flag those tweets. Unsurprisingly, its officer in charge of so-called ‘Site Integrity’ has flaunted his political bias in his own tweets.

In response to the president’s executive order, the US Chamber of Commerce issued a rather pointed statement:

We believe that free speech and the right to engage in commerce are foundational to the American free enterprise system. Regardless of the circumstances that led up to this, this is not how public policy is made in the United States. An executive order cannot be properly used to change federal law.”

The Trump administration is finalizing rules that will allow hunters in Alaska’s national preserves to shoot bears and wolves, and their cubs and pups, while they are in their dens.

The National Park Service is reversing regulations written by the Barack Obama administration, which banned some of the much-criticized practices for hunting the predators, including luring bears with food like doughnuts.

Jesse Prentice-Dunn, policy director for the Center for Western Priorities, called the rule change “amazingly cruel” and said it was “just the latest in a string of efforts to reduce protections for America’s wildlife at the behest of oil companies and trophy hunters”.

The park service’s deputy director, David Vela, said the change would “more closely align hunting and trapping regulations with those established by the state of Alaska”.

Here’s our tech reporter Julia Carrie Wong’s take on the Trump executive order aimed at regulating social media:

The president’s executive order on social media will kick off a heated debate over free speech on the internet that will, in all likelihood, lead to nothing. This manufactured dispute is a distraction for the media, and it will almost certainly be an effective one. It would be in everyone’s interest – including its own – if Twitter pulled the plug on this specious debate, banned Trump for repeated and egregious violations of its rules, and helped us all focus on what’s more important.

• More than 100,000 people in the United States have died of Covid-19, more than any other nation in the world. The figure is probably an undercount.
• More than 1.7 million people in the US have had confirmed cases of Covid-19, more than any other nation in the world. The figure is almost certainly an undercount.
• The US federal government completely botched the rollout of testing for the coronavirus at the beginning of the pandemic and continues to lag in providing adequate testing for its populace.

Read her opinion column in its entirety:

Before signing his social media executive order, Trump once again criticized states’ efforts to expand vote by mail.

The president argued mass vote by mail would turn US elections into a “total joke.” “There’s such fraud and abuse,” Trump said of vote by mail, even though voter fraud is actually very rare.

Repeating a false claim that was fact-checked by Twitter, Trump said, “Anybody in California that’s breathing gets a ballot.” When a reporter tried to correct the president, Trump cut him off, saying, “I’m not finished.”

In reality, California governor Gavin Newsom has only asked local officials to mail ballots to registered voters.

When a reporter noted this, Trump replied, “Oh really? So when he sends out 28 million ballots and they’re in all the mailboxes and kids go and they raid the mailboxes and they hand them to people that are signing the ballots ... you don’t think that happens?” There is no evidence that this is happening.

Even as Trump signed his social media executive order, he acknowledged it could be vulnerable to legal challenges.

For example, the order looks to modify Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which grants liability protections to social media companies.

However, experts have said Section 230 would almost certainly have to be amended by Congress, and the president appeared to acknowledge this.

“I guess it’s going to be challenged in court, but what isn’t?” Trump said of the order, according to the White House pool report.

When asked about trying to shut down Twitter, the president similarly said there were legal hurdles with that proposal. “I’d have to go through a legal process,” Trump said.

The president’s social media executive order comes a day after the US coronavirus death toll surpassed 100,000.

Trump addressed the death toll in a tweet this morning, but commentators quesioned why he did not deliver any kind of remarks to commemorate the lives lost to coronavirus.

In contrast to his relative quiet about the grim milestone, Trump has sent off several tweets criticizing Twitter for fact-checking his false claims about vote by mail, and he has now signed an executive order aimed at regulating social media companies.

The president’s critics suggested that the order was nothing more than an attempt to deflect attention away from the coronavirus death toll and Trump’s response to the pandemic.

As he prepared to sign his social media executive order, Trump complained about Twitter fact-checking two of his inaccurate tweets, calling the effort “political activism.”

“We’re here today to defend free speech from one of the greatest dangers,” Trump said, slamming social media companies as a “monopoly.”

When asked why he had not deleted his Twitter account if he thinks the platform is biased, Trump blamed the media.

“If we had fair press in this country I would do that in a heartbeat,” Trump said.

The 2020 Boston Marathon, which was originally supposed to occur last month, has now been canceled.

The city initially delayed the event, which brings in more than $200 million to Boston’s economy, from April to September out of concern about the spread of coronavirus.

Boston mayor Marty Walsh said the decision to postpone was made with the hope that coronavirus “would no longer be a significant public health risk” by September, but officials no longer feel confident in that.

“Economically, it’s a big hit there’s no question about it,” Walsh said. “This entire three months has been a big hit for most sectors economically.

“Certainly we’re feeling it in our budget, our restaurants are feeling it, our small businesses are feeling it. Many of our offices are feeling it. We’ll survive. It might be a different reality for a lot of people.”

The House has voted to send the FISA bill to a conference committee with the Senate, after Republican members turned against the bill at the urging of the president.

The House voted 284-122 to send the bill, which would reauthorize three expired surveillance programs, to committee.

The vote will give lawmakers a chance to renegotiate a new version of the bill that may be more appealing to Trump, who said he would veto the legislation the House had been prepared to vote on yesterday.

But considering the president has conflated the reauthorization with the Obama administration’s surveillance that led to the firing of former national security adviser Michael Flynn, it will probably be difficult to craft a bill to Trump’s liking.

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany deflected a question about a debunked conspiracy theory involving MSNBC host Joe Scarborough.

An employee of the conservative website OANN asked if the White House thought Scarborough should sue the president for defamation after Trump repeatedly promoted the theory.

The OANN employee seemed to suggest Trump should welcome a lawsuit from Scarborough, so the president could depose the host about the 2001 death of his former staffer, Lori Klausutis.

But McEnany interestingly did not take the bait, instead deflecting attention to some of Scarborough’s past comments about the case, indicating the White House may be trying to move away from Trump’s widely criticized attacks on his MSNBC foe.

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Trump is feeling “perfect” and “absolutely great” (his words) after taking hydroxychloroquine.

Quoting the president, McEnany said the president would absolutely take the anti-malaria drug again to help prevent coronavirus.

However, the FDA has issued guidance that the drug should not be used outside of a hospital setting due to concerns about possible cardiovascular side effects.

An expansive study also indicated that coronavirus patients who received hydroxychloroquine saw a higher death rate than those who did not.

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Trump wants “justice to be served” for George Floyd, the black man who died after a police officer put a knee on his neck.

However, McEnany deflected questions about what justice would look like in this case, including whether the police officers involved should be prosecuted.

McEnany described Floyd’s death as “egregious, appalling and tragic” and said Trump is currently being briefed on the case by attorney general William Barr.

The White House press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, said Trump’s social media executive order would be signed “hopefully before 5pm”.

But she cast a fair amount of uncertainty over when the order would be ready and provided few details on what it would include.

“It’s still in the works, but it’s getting closer,” McEnany said.

CNN reporter Jim Acosta asked White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany why Trump and his advisers do not think he should be fact-checked, when he has often shared false or misleading information over Twitter.

McEnany disagreed with the premise of Acosta’s question, arguing it was the media that actually needed to be fact-checked.

On Trump’s record of past falsehoods, McEnany said, “His intent is always to give truthful information to the American people.”

According to the Washington Post, the president has made more than 18,000 false or misleading claims since taking office.

As America passes the 100,000 death mark, it has become abundantly clear that the pandemic amounts to a racial disaster of stunning proportions.

Figures compiled by APM Research Lab from 40 states show that African Americans are being killed at almost three times the rate of white people.

Black Kansans are seven times more likely to die from the virus than white Kansans. In Missouri, Wisconsin and Washington DC the ratio is six times.

Such grotesque distortions are most visible in New York City, that giant laboratory test into virulent racial inequity. Data released this week showed that when the city’s zip codes are ranked according to highest death rates, eight out of the top 10 have majority black or Latino populations.

None of the 10 are in wealthy, largely white Manhattan.

The Guardian’s Sam Levine reports:

The Justice Department announced a settlement Thursday with a South Dakota school district charged with electing board members in a way that discriminated against Native Americans.

The case is significant because it marks the first new case the Justice Department filed under the Voting Rights Act, the landmark 1965 voting law, alleging a discriminatory voting scheme. Civil rights groups have loudly criticized the Department’s silence around the law, saying it was abdicating its responsibility to prevent discriminatory voting and giving leeway to bad actors to make it harder to vote.

The new case involved the seven-member school board for the Chamberlain School District, which touches three counties in South Dakota. About 70% of the district’s voters are white and the remaining 30% are Native American, but since 2007, just one Native American has won a race for the school board.

The Justice Department said in its complaint that that disparity was the result of an “at-large” election system in which the entire school district voted for the school board members. If voters were grouped several districts within the school board’s jurisdiction, Justice Department attorneys said in their complaint, Native American population was significant enough to comprise a majority in at least two of them.

“The Chamberlain School District’s method of election is characterized by the use of practices and procedures that have the result of impairing American Indian electoral opportunities,” Justice Department attorneys wrote in their complaint. “The at-large method of electing the Chamberlain School Board dilutes the voting strength of American Indian citizens.”

Under the settlement, which still needs to be approved by a federal judge, the school district agreed to change the way candidates are elected. Starting in 2021, there will be three districts to elect two candidates each to the school board. The seventh seat will still be at-large.

Trump once again lashed out against Twitter, after the social media platform fact-checked two of the president’s tweets about vote by mail.

“So ridiculous to see Twitter trying to make the case that Mail-In Ballots are not subject to FRAUD. How stupid, there are examples, & cases, all over the place,” Trump said. (Voter fraud is actually very rare.)

In reality, Twitter did not make any case about vote by mail. The platform simply added a label to Trump’s tweets that read, “Get the facts about mail-in ballots.” That message linked to a page with tweets from journalists and news articles debunking Trump’s false claim that California was sending ballots to everyone living in the state.

In his newest tweet, Trump specifically called out Yoel Roth, Twitter’s head of site integrity, who has attracted scrutiny for some 2016 and 2017 tweets criticizing the president.

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey said last night that he should be held responsible for the company’s decisions, implictly criticizing the president’s allies for singling out a specific employee.

Senator Tim Kaine thanked those who have sent supportive messages since he announced he and his wife have tested positive for coronavirus antibodies.

The Virginia Democrat said he was grateful he and his wife, Anne Holton, had experienced mild symptoms. “Our hearts go out to all families who have lost loved ones,” Kaine wrote in a tweet.

Holton credited Virginia’s stay-at-home order with preventing them from spreading the virus to their colleagues and loved ones.

Trump announced he would extend the deployments of National Guard members currently assisting with the coronavirus response, which could make them eligible for key federal benefits.

“The men and women of the National Guard have been doing a great job fighting the CoronaVirus. This week, I will extend their Title 32 orders through mid-August, so they can continue to help States succeed in their response and recovery efforts,” Trump wrote in a tweet.

Politico reported on the National Guard members potentially failing to qualify for the benefits earlier this month:

More than 40,000 National Guard members currently helping states test residents for the coronavirus and trace the spread of infections will face a ‘hard stop’ on their deployments on June 24 — just one day shy of many members becoming eligible for key federal benefits, according to a senior FEMA official.

The official outlined the Trump administration’s plans on an interagency call on May 12, an audio version of which was obtained by POLITICO. The official also acknowledged during the call that the June 24 deadline means that thousands of members who first deployed in late March will find themselves with only 89 days of duty credit, one short of the 90-day threshold for qualifying for early retirement and education benefits under the Post-9/11 GI bill.

House speaker Nancy Pelosi said Trump’s social media executive order is a “distraction” from the government’s response to coronavirus.

“I think it’s just typical President Trump. A distraction,” Pelosi told MSNBC host Andrea Mitchell. “People are dying, and all people want to talk about is what he said next about this. That is a success for him. So I just will not go there.”

The House speaker tried to redirect attention toward the need to expand coronavirus testing in order to safely reopen the country.

“It’s about testing, testing, testing,” Pelosi said. “All of this is a distraction from the problem at hand.”

New York governor Andrew Cuomo was joined by actors Chris Rock and Rosie Perez during his daily briefing on the state’s response to coronavirus.

Appearing alongside Cuomo in their native borough of Brooklyn, Rock and Perez called on their neighbors to get tested and wear masks to limit the spread of the virus.

“Everybody that can get tested should get tested as soon as possible,” Rock said.

“Mi gente, love each other, love yourselves,” Perez added. “Get a test. Wear a mask.”

House speaker Nancy Pelosi closed out her weekly press conference by addressing the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

“We did see a murder on TV, and it wasn’t self-defense,” Pelosi told reporters at the Capitol.

The death of Floyd, a black man, after a white police officer put his knee on Floyd’s neck has sparked protests in Minneapolis and demands for the officers involved to be prosecuted.

The justice department has said it is making its investigation into Floyd’s death a “top priority,” and FBI officials are involved in the “robust” inquiry.

House speaker Nancy Pelosi said Trump’s planned executive order directed at social media companies is “outrageous.”

Speaking to reporters at the Capitol, Pelosi expressed support for Twitter fact-checking two of the president’s tweets about vote by mail.

However, the speaker added that she thought social media companies had been “very selective” in how they correct Trump’s falsehoods, specifically citing the president’s tweets about a baseless conspiracy theory involving MSNBC host Joe Scarborough.

Singling out Facebook and its CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who said platforms should not be fact-checking tweets, Pelosi said social media companies are “all about making money.”

Joe Biden provided a more humorous reminder to wear masks while outside, as the CDC has recommended to limit the spread of coronavirus.

The presumptive Democratic nominee appeared in a TikTok video from the Washington Post, admonishing a Post reporter for not wearing his mask.

As the Post’s Dave Jorgenson walks his dog and listens to Biden’s podcast, the actual Biden interrupts the podcast to say, “Dave, what the hell? I told you to wear your mask outside.”

As Jorgenson reacts in understandable confusion, Biden appears on his phone screen and adds, “You need to wear your mask outside. I don’t care if you’re just walking your dog.”

The funny video comes as Biden and Trump have clashed over wearing masks in public, with the president suggesting it was “very unusual” that Biden wore a mask while attending a Memorial Day ceremony, even though that was in compliance with the CDC’s recommendation.

Senator Tim Kaine said he and his wife would continue observing CDC guidelines, even though they have tested positive for coronavirus antibodies.

“While those antibodies could make us less likely to be re-infected or infect others, there is still too much uncertainty over what protection antibodies may actually provide,” Kaine said.

“So we will keep following CDC guidelines—hand-washing, mask wearing, social distancing. We encourage others to do so as well. It shows those around you that you care about them.”

In contrast, senator Rand Paul, who tested positive for coronavirus in March, refused to wear a mask on the Senate floor this month because he said he did not have to.

“I have immunity,” Paul said when asked about his lack of a mask. “I’ve already had the virus. So I can’t get it again, and I can’t give it to anybody.”

As Kaine indicated, there is still uncertainty around whether those who have had coronavirus can be reinfected. There are promising signs that former coronavirus patients have immunity, although it remains unknown how long that immunity might last.

Trump is once again trying to deflect attention away from his response to coronavirus by blaming China for the pandemic.

“All over the World the CoronaVirus, a very bad ‘gift’ from China, marches on. Not good!” Trump tweeted this morning.

The president was previously criticized for calling coronavirus “the Chinese virus,” raising concerns about intensifying racism against Asian Americans.

The label was derided as a transparent effort by Trump to downplay complaints that his administration had missed critical early opportunities to limit the spread of the virus.

Trump’s tweet comes as the country’s coronavirus death toll has surpassed 100,000 and the number of US unemployment claims has reached 40 million.

House speaker Nancy Pelosi said she would seek formal negotiations with the Senate on the FISA bill, after majority leader Steny Hoyer announced he was withdrawing the legislation from consideration.

“Clearly, because House Republicans have prioritized politics over our national security, we will no longer have a bipartisan veto-proof majority. Therefore, as Leader Hoyer just announced, we will no longer be voting on the FISA bill today,” Pelosi wrote in a “Dear Colleague” letter.

“It will be our intention to go to conference in order to ensure that all of the views of all Members of our Caucus are represented in the final product.”

But considering Trump’s opposition to reauthorizing the surveillance programs, it may be difficult to secure a veto-proof majority on the legislation.

House majority leader Steny Hoyer said he is withdrawing the FISA bill from consideration, a day after speaker Nancy Pelosi pulled the scheduled vote on the bill.

Pelosi scrapped the vote after Trump and many of his Republican allies made clear that they opposed the bill, which would have reauthorized three expired surveillance programs.

Combined with progressive criticism of the legislation, it was unclear if the bill would be able to pass the House, despite the chamber’s approval of a similar bill in March.

“At the request of the Speaker of the House, I am withdrawing consideration of the FISA Act,” Hoyer said in a statement.

“The two-thirds of the Republican party that voted for this bill in March have indicated they are going to vote against it now. I am told they are doing so at the request of the President. I believe this to be against the security interest of the United States and the safety of the American people.”

Trump tweeted about his opposition to the bill on Tuesday night, equating the programs’ reauthorization with the Obama administration’s surveillance of former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who later pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI.

This is Joan Greve, taking over for Joanna Walters.

The White House is reportedly not planning to release economic projections this summer, as the coronavirus pandemic causes widespread unemployment and revenue losses.

The Washington Post reports:

The White House is supposed to unveil a federal budget proposal every February and then typically provides a ‘mid-session review’ in July or August with updated projections on economic trends such as unemployment, inflation and economic growth.

Budget experts said they were not aware of any previous White House opting against providing forecasts in this ‘mid-session review’ document in any other year since at least the 1970s. ...

The document would be slated for publication just a few months before the November elections.

Even if Trump declines to release the economic projections before the November presidential election, he will still be confronted with the fact that tens of millions of Americans have had to file for unemloyment since the start of the coronavirus crisis.