Westgate shooting suspect charged with attempted murder among 41 counts

Phil Murphy, the governor of New Jersey announced that a $1.3 billion cut in spending would come into effect. This would also draw down much of the state’s savings in order to close the deficit predicted for this fiscal year, as the coronavirus pandemic has badly affected state tax collections.

Larry Kramer, a popular author whose advocacy for a national response to AIDS helped raise awareness and consequently shaped national policy died on Wednesday. He was 84. Mr. Kramer was the co-founder of the ACT UP movement, which was responsible for making AIDS a national issue.

Four Minneapolis police officers have been fired after the death of a black man who was taken into custody and seen on video being pinned down by his neck. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey announced the firings on Twitter, saying ’This is the right call.’Footage of the restraint was shared widely online. Hours after the dismissals were announced, thousands of protesters filled the streets in a rally.

Jacob Frey, the mayor of Minneapolis called on authorities on Wednesday to criminally charge a white police officer who knelt on the neck of an African American man, who consequently died at a hospital shortly afterwards. The officer and three others have been dismissed from the police force.

Senior Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley said Tuesday that he isn’t satisfied with the White House’s explanation for the president’s recent dismissal of five Inspectors General in a span of six weeks. Grassley demanded the White House provide reasoning beyond saying the President has the power to do so. Glenn Fine, demoted from role of Defense Dept. IG 2 months ago, resigned.

TV host Jimmy Fallon has apologized for wearing blackface during a Saturday Night Live (SNL) sketch 20 years ago. Fallon portrayed fellow comedian and SNL cast member Chris Rock appearing on a talk show. ’I am very sorry for making this unquestionably offensive decision and thank all of you for holding me accountable’, Fallon tweeted. Fallon appeared on SNL from 1998 until 2004.

The NHC warned that a Tropical Storm Bertha is in effect from Edisto Beach to the South Santee River, and heavy rainfall is expected. The storm is expected to reach the coast within the next few hours and is expected to produce total rain of 2 to 4 inches with isolated totals of 8 inches across eastern & central South Carolina into west central to far SE North Carolina and SW Virginia.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have reported a remarkably low death rate for the coronavirus disease. In a latest report, a death rate of 0.26% has been reported. The death rate due to the novel coronavirus disease was earlier estimated to be 3.4% by the World Health Organization.

Wanda Vazquez, the governor of Puerto Rico announced the cautious reopening of beaches, restaurants, hair salons, churches, and retail stores under strict new rules. The US territory has been under a strict lockdown for the last two months which stifled business activity. Vazquez also announced that a 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew will remain in place till June 15.

A protest in Minneapolis over the death of a black man in police custody turned violent as protesters clashed with police and attacked a precinct building. The viral video showed that Floyd was pushed down by police officer, as he yelled of not being able to breathe before he died. The protesters targeted the precinct because it’s believed the four cops involved in Floyd’s arrest, worked there.

Washington, DC, Mayor Bowser said on Tuesday that the city is on its path for its gradual reopening. It is unclear what gradual reopening will entail, but an advisory group suggested outdoor dine-in restaurant service, and golf courses and tennis courts could reopen. The group also said barbershops and hair salons could restart by appointment only, and groups of 10 can meet in places of worship.

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Tuesday that hair salons and barbershops in most California counties can reopen as the state continues to ease some of the restrictions prompted by the pandemic. Newsom said 47 of the state’s 58 counties have ’self-attested’ to meeting the state’s criteria to move further into phase two, and they will be allowed to reopen barbershops and hair salons with modifications.

Glenn Fine, the acting inspector general at the Pentagon who was supposed to oversee how the administration was administering coronavirus relief funds, resigned Tuesday after Trump replaced him with Sean O’Donnell. Trump in April removed Fine from his role after Fine was named to lead the committee that was tasked with overseeing the implementation of the $2 trillion relief package.

LA resident and animal rights activist Marc Ching has been accused of staging gruesome dog killings during trips to slaughterhouses for footage in his foundation videos. As per the LA Times, Marc Ching allegedly paid a butcher in Indonesia to hang a dog and burn it to death so he could stage the scene for the camera. Ching claims the allegations were cooked up by rivals in the animal rescue world.

Florida Republicans are making an aggressive play to snatch the Republican National Convention from North Carolina after Trump threatened to move the late-August gathering from North Carolina if that state’s Democratic governor didn’t ’immediately’ guarantee a full capacity event there. According to Politico, Florida Rep. Michael Waltz made the offer to Trump on a phone call on Sunday.