President warns army cadets against 'passion and prejudice', after bowing to pressure over Juneteenth rally
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Donald Trump attended the US Military Academy's graduation for West Point in New York on Saturday, where he gave a commencement speech warning against "passion and prejudice" during moments of that are "turbulent" and "rough".
The comments came nearly two weeks after the president threatened to deploy the military to cities across the United States to control Black Lives Matter protests, which out of anger towards police brutality displayed against African Americans.
Mr Trump also mentioned the coronavirus during his speech, declaring how the US will "vanquish" the "invisible enemy", just a few days after cases in the country topped 2 million people and the CDC warned the death toll could reach 130,000 by 4 July. Following the graduation ceremony, the president returned to his Bedminster golf club in New Jersey where he is staying for the weekend.
The Trump campaign faced backlash this week for scheduling Mr Trump's first campaign rally since the start of the coronavirus pandemic on Juneteenth in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In a move not often seen by the president, he bowed to pressure and moved the date of the rally to prevent further backlash. Now the rally would take place on 20 June.
Conversations surrounding the president's controversial walk from the White House to St John's Episcopal Church last week only continue, as the Secret Service amends its initial statement about the event.
The agency previously said no pepper spray was used on protesters in Lafayette Park as a means to disperse the crowd so Mr Trump could make his walk. But now the agency has said one employee used the pepper spray "in response to an assaultive individual".
Trump's increasingly pro-police rhetoric could upend Congress' work on police reform John T Bennett with his analysis on Trump's rhetoric:
Cuomo declares New York has 'tamed the beast' after posting lowest coronavirus deathsNew York state reported 32 deaths from Covid-19 on Friday, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced during his Saturday press briefing.
The death toll was the "lowest number of deaths that we have seen since this started," Mr Cuomo said.
"We've done it, we have tamed the beast, we are now 180 degrees on the other side," he added.
Other indicators for the coronavirus' impact on the state, including hospitalisation numbers, were also at their lowest. New York was long the epicentre for the novel virus, but its strict shutdown has worked in flattening the curve and preventing an overwhelmed healthcare system.
"All the news is very, very good," Mr Cuomo said.
On Monday, New York City officially entered into Phase One of reopening, meaning all parts of the state were in a phase of recovery from the virus. Phase One meant that manufacturing and construction could resume. Retail stores were also allowed to do curbside pickup.
Although New York was showing positive numbers, Mr Cuomo still urged residents to follow guidelines to prevent a future resurgence of Covid-19 cases.
Joe Biden demands for a national ban on chokeholds 'now'
The Democratic candidate for the presidential race has said a national ban on chokeholds should be implemented "now" following the death of George Floyd at the hands of four former Minneapolis police officers.
Derek Chauvin, the officer arrested and charged with the second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter of Mr Floyd, used a hold on the man that involved his knee pressing against his neck.
Chokeholds like that, and others, now face scrutiny across the US, with certain cities putting in place laws that would prevent police officers from using those holds. Mr Biden has made it clear he supported a ban.
But Donald Trump, in contrast, told Fox News he thought the concept police chokeholds sounds "so innocent, so perfect". He later clarified his comments stating that "depending on toughness and strength" chokeholds could be a "different story".
Statue of Confederate president Jefferson Davis removed from Kentucky capitol
A statue of Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederacy whose secession from the United States sparked the Civil War, has been removed from the state capitol in Frankfort, Kentucky.
The 15ft marble likeness was taken down on Saturday following a vote the night before by the panel that oversees statues at the capitol, the Lexington Herald Leader reported. The proposal to remove it was passed by 11 votes to one.
Phil Thomas reports:
Trump's economic adviser says the president wants next stimulus package to be $2tn
White House economic adviser Peter Navarro made a shocking declaration on Twitter that stated Donald Trump wanted the fourth coronavirus stimulus package to be worth $2tn in funding.
In a tweet, he said that the fourth phase would include that stimulus package, but it wasn't clearly exactly what would be funded.
Democrats in Congress have pushed for another stimulus check for Americans and money to go towards states. Talks with Republicans have taken longer, though, with the party wanting to alter unemployment benefits to incentivise Americans to get back into the workforce.
Any future date this next stimulus package could go into effect remains unknown.
Fauci says he's supports the NBA's restart plan.
Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, spoke with Stadium on Saturday about sports and their reopening plans amid the coronavirus pandemic.
"I've looked at that plan and it's really quite creative what they are really trying to do. I think they might very well be quite successful with it. It is to create a situation where it is as safe as possibly can be for the players by creating this bubble," he said about the NBA.
The NBA announced the suspended 2019-2020 season would resume with 22 of the 30 teams in the league being involved.
The season would resume on 30 July following weeks of training for the players, with an emphasis on testing to make sure no one has contracted the novel virus.
The league is looking to use an isolated venue at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida – pending approval – to host isolated games, practices, and residency so teams could finish out the rest of the season.
"It's something that I think is a sound plan," Dr Fauci said. "I was very pleased to see that the intent was not reckless at all, they really wanted to make sure that the safety of the players and the people associated with the players was paramount."
Secret Service amends its account the clearing of protesters in Washington DC
The Secret Service released an updated statement about the events that took place last Monday in front of the White House to allow for President Donald Trump to make his walk to St John's Episcopal Church for a photo op.
Initially the agency said that no one used any pepper spray on protesters, despite video footage showing some kind of substance being sprayed.
Now the agency said "an agency employee used pepper spray on 1 June during efforts to clear Lafayette Park". The Secret Service added the employee used the pepper spray "in response to an assaultive individual".
Mr Trump received backlash for that walk because it looked as though peaceful protesters were violently dispersed by law enforcement to make it happen.
Army General Mark Milley, who walked alongside the president at the time, later said he was wrong to participate in the event.
Lawyers arrested for throwing Molotov cocktails during George Floyd protests could face life in prison
Two Brooklyn lawyers and a woman from upstate New York have been indicted for throwing Molotov cocktails at police during protests over the killing of George Floyd.
The three face up to life in prison for a variety of federal charges, including the use of explosives, arson and civil disorder.
Richard Hall reports:
Madeline Albright slams Trump over his perspective on how US should solve 'ancient conflicts'
The former secretary of state commented on a moment from Donald Trump's commencement speech to graduates of West Point on Saturday.
In the speech, Mr Trump said: "It is not the duty of US troops to solve ancient conflicts in faraway lands that many people have never even heard of."
Ms Albright compared this rhetoric to what people said prior to World War II about Nazi Germany.
Her full statement here:
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