The four former officers charged in George Floyd’s killing appear in court
With a trial date tentatively set for March 2021, the four former Minneapolis police officers criminally charged with the death of George Floyd appeared before a judge Monday in brief, back-to-back pre-trial hearings. Derek Chauvin, J. Alexander Kueng, Kiernan Lane and Tou Thao were all fired from the Minneapolis police department after video of Floyd’s May 25 death surfaced online and ignited worldwide outrage. Keung and Lane are currently free on bail. Chauvin has been charged with second- and third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in Floyd’s death. The other three former officers have been charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Lawyers for the four former officers have argued that holding a trial in the area would open their clients up to be judged by a biased jury. Assistant Minnesota Attorney General Matthew Frank said of the upcoming trial that the court is “just as interested” in it being fair. Judge Peter Cahill also barred cameras and microphones from the hearing, saying the added publicity could taint the potential pool of jurors. The hearings were attended by Floyd’s family, with his aunt and uncle sitting in the front row.
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: 10,415,035
Global deaths: 509,474. The United States has the most deaths of any single country, with 129,544.
Number of countries/regions: at least 188
Total patients recovered globally: 5,253,988
Latest reported numbers in the United States per Johns Hopkins University
There are at least 2,682,897 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 129,544. New York State has the greatest number of reported deaths in the U.S., with 31,403.
U.S. total patients recovered: 705,203
U.S. total people tested: 31,557,407
The greatest number of reported COVID-19 cases in the U.S. is in New York, with 393,304 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 reports more than 41,500 new COVID-19 cases in a day
More than 41,500 new cases of COVID-19 were identified in the United States on Monday, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. While that count was up from the previous day, it’s lower than the country’s current record high of more than 45,000 new cases identified last Friday. As of Tuesday morning, the total number of reported COVID-19 cases in the U.S. is 2,682,897, with at least 129,544 deaths. ABC News data shows some 31 states are showing an increase in the rate of COVID-19 diagnoses, with hospitalizations up in 23 states and deaths rising in 14. Some states – including Florida, Georgia and South Carolina – are reporting new records daily. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s current forecasts expect between 1,000 and 1,500 new hospitalizations per day by mid-July, with between 130,000 and 150,000 total deaths.
‘Face mask exempt’ cards not a real thing
How far will some people go to keep from wearing a face mask in public? A group that bills itself as the FTBA, or ‘Freedom to Breathe Agency,’ has been selling so-called ‘face mask exempt’ cards on their website, which bears the U.S. Department of Justice logo and warns, in part, that “wearing a face mask poses a mental and/or physical risk to me. Under the Americans with Disability [sic] act, I am not required to disclose my condition to you.” It also warns of steep monetary penalties, and adds, “Denying access to your business/organization will be also [be] reported to FTBA for further actions.” The Justice Department has already issued an official advisory, declaring that the cards are fraudulent. Contacted by ABC News, a statement from the FTBA declared, in part, that the cards were intended to “educate the public on their legal and human rights under the Constitution of the United States of America.” The group’s Facebook page – run by a woman named Lenka Koloma, whose personal website claims she teaches how to “unlock miraculous powers to transform your health, wealth and relationships into a life of unlimited abundance” – has been flagged by Facebook for spreading “false information,” and has since become a private group.