Victim of Central Park bird-watching incident declines to cooperate with prosecutors
While the Manhattan district attorney on Monday levied a charge of third-degree falsely reporting an incident against Amy Cooper, the white woman who was filmed threatening to call the police on a Black bird watcher in New York’s Central Park in May, the victim himself reportedly won’t cooperate with her prosecution. “She’s already paid a steep price,” Christian Cooper said in a statement Tuesday to The New York Times. “That’s not enough of a deterrent to others? Bringing her more misery just seems like piling on.” Following the incident, for which she publicly apologized, Amy Cooper was fired from her job amid widespread public shaming. Christian Cooper added, “If the DA feels the need to pursue charges, he should pursue charges. But he can do that without me.”
Park police didn’t record radios during June 1 Lafayette Square sweep of protestors
As Congress and the inspectors general of the Interior and Justice Departments investigate the June 1 sweep of protestors from Washington, D.C.’s Lafayette Square ahead of President Trump’s walk to a nearby church, comes news that police radio communications during the action were not recorded. The Washington Post reports that while Park Police routinely don’t wear body cameras, their radio communications are supposed to be electronically recorded, something the Park Police confirmed didn’t happen during the Lafayette Square sweep because “the radio recorder was not working.” A spokesperson added that “written radio logs were generated.” The June 1 sweep along H Street prompted widespread criticism for several reasons, including the fact police used smoke, chemical irritants and officers on horseback to disperse protesters well before a 7 p.m. curfew, and for the timing of the sweep, which came minutes before President Trump and senior staff walked across the street for a photo op in front of St. John’s Episcopal Church. The Trump administration has maintained that the timing was coincidental.
COVID-19 numbers
Here’s the latest data on COVID-19 coronavirus infections and deaths.
Latest reported numbers globally per Johns Hopkins University
Global diagnosed cases: 11,850,886
Global deaths: 544,722. The United States has the most deaths of any single country, with 131,480.
Number of countries/regions: at least 188
Total patients recovered globally: 6,467,428
Latest reported numbers in the United States per Johns Hopkins University
There are at least 2,996,098 diagnosed cases in 50 states + the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam. This is more than in any other country.
U.S. deaths: at least 131,480. New York State has the greatest number of reported deaths in the U.S., with 32,243.
U.S. total patients recovered: 936,476
U.S. total people tested: 36,878,106
The greatest number of reported COVID-19 cases in the U.S. is in New York, with 398,237 confirmed cases out of a total state population of 19.5 million. That is the most reported cases than in any other single region in the world.
COVID-19 headlines
US sets new daily COVID-19 case record: 60,000+
More than 60,000 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in the United States Tuesday, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Tuesday’s numbers exceeded the previous record, set just last week on July 2, of more than 54,000 new cases reported in a single day. The national total currently stands at 2,996,098 diagnosed cases with at least 131,480 deaths. It’s likely the total number of reported COVID-19 cases in the U.S. will exceed three million in the next 24 hours. The news comes at the same time President Trump falsely stated in a tweet that the U.S. COVID-19 death rate is the “lowest…in the world,” and his administration formally announced its intention to withdraw from the World Health Organization by July of next year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is currently forecasting between 140,000 and 160,000 COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. by July 25.
Sixteen people positive for COVID-19 after in-person high school graduation
Sixteen people who attended a high school graduation in North Carolina have reportedly contracted COVID-19. WSOC Charlotte reports the only common link all of the people share is that they attended in-person graduation ceremonies at Marvin Ridge High School on June 24 in Waxhaw, North Carolina, about an hour south of Charlotte. The Union County school board voted in late May to hold in-person graduation ceremonies while practicing social distancing, despite a state gubernatorial order prohibiting it. WSOC reports video of the graduation ceremony posted to Facebook shows some students and family members at the ceremony practicing social distancing, though many attendees didn’t wear face masks. In a statement Tuesday, Union County Public Schools said, in part, “the district provided clear health and safety guidance for graduates and their guests. Ceremonies included social distancing protocols, and staff encouraged all attendees to wear face coverings. In addition, hand sanitizer or hand washing stations were available at each stadium.”