George Floyd protests: officer bailed as protesters topple Confederate statue in Virginia – live

Officer involved in George Floyd killing freed on bail, as statue of Confederate president toppled in Richmond, Virginia

This is Joan Greve in Washington, taking over for Martin Belam.

Trump’s most recent tweet that the National Guard troops who patrolled Washington amid the George Floyd protests “could hardly believe how easy it was” is at odds with recent reports about the troops.

The first days of June, a calamitous period for the Trump presidency, have been a debacle for the National Guard.

There has been a torrent of criticism from Congress, senior retired military officers and Guard members themselves since more than 5,000 Guard troops — from the District of Columbia and a dozen states — were rushed to the streets of the capital to help in the crackdown on mostly peaceful protesters and occasional looters after the killing of George Floyd in police custody. The D.C. Guard has halted recruiting efforts, and at least four National Guard troops have tested positive for the coronavirus.

Donald Trump is up and tweeting, and is straight on the attack against “Antifa”.

Our great National Guard Troops who took care of the area around the White House could hardly believe how easy it was. “A walk in the park”, one said. The protesters, agitators, anarchists (ANTIFA), and others, were handled VERY easily by the Guard, D.C. Police, & S.S. GREAT JOB!

Domestic Terrorists have taken over Seattle, run by Radical Left Democrats, of course. LAW & ORDER!

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Donald Trump to hold rally in Oklahoma, first since coronavirus pandemic began

President announces rally in Tulsa, city with a history of deadly racial violence, even as Covid-19 cases continue to rise

Donald Trump will hold a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, next Friday – his first since since states began shutting down in response to the coronavirus pandemic, which has claimed more than 110,000 lives in the US.

Related: Trump would 'not even consider' renaming bases with Confederate links

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Trump to hold first rally in months in Tulsa, a city with history of deadly racial violence – live

Hallie Golden reports for The Guardian:

Governor Jay Inslee of Washington has ordered a new investigation into the death of Manuel Ellis, an African American man who died more than three months ago in police custody, following questions over the independence of the investigation.

Related: Washington governor orders new investigation into police custody death

Lane was released after posting bond. His bail was set for $1m.

Lane was one of the officers — including Derek Chauvin, Tou Thao and J. Alexander Kueng — who stopped George Floyd while responding to a call about the alleged use of a counterfeit $20 bill.

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Trump would ‘not even consider’ renaming bases with Confederate links

President contradicts defense secretary who said he was open to discussing new names for military bases named after Confederates

Donald Trump said on Wednesday he would “not even consider” renaming US military bases that are named after Confederate military leaders, even though the Pentagon has indicated it is open to the idea.

The statement from the US president came amid widespread anti-racism protests that have convulsed the country and were triggered by the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis last month.

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DoJ push to dismiss Michael Flynn case a ‘gross abuse of power’, ex-judge finds

  • John Gleeson condemns department’s ‘highly irregular conduct’
  • Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to FBI but then withdrew plea

A former federal judge appointed to review the justice department’s motion to dismiss criminal charges against former national security adviser Michael Flynn has found that the government’s request should be denied because there is “clear evidence of a gross abuse of prosecutorial power”.

Related: George Floyd's brother testifies before House: 'I'm here to get justice' – live

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George Floyd: large procession of mourners expected to follow private Texas funeral – live

The Guardian’s Vivan Ho reports from Houston, Texas:

Supporters of George Floyd stood outside the church in the punishing Houston humidity, waiting for the procession to Floyd’s final resting place.

Joe Biden expressed support for the Buffalo protester who was shoved to the ground by police officers, after Trump suggested the 75-year-old man might be an Antifa plant.

My Dad used to say there's no greater sin than the abuse of power.

Whether it's an officer bloodying a peaceful protester or a President defending him with a conspiracy theory he saw on TV.

I'm a Catholic – just like Martin. Our faith says that we can't accept either.

Related: Trump makes baseless claim about man, 75, shoved by police: ‘Could be a set-up?’

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Are they gone for good? The Trump supporters who regret their vote

President’s latest decisions – deploying military forces against protesters, and the church photo op – are chipping away at his base

Donald Trump once famously boasted he could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue, and not lose supporters. For years that seemed true.

Related: Trump reaches for Nixon playbook after protests that have rocked America

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George Floyd memorials held in Houston and Los Angeles as Democrats unveil reforms – live

On Saturday night, 23-year-old Erik Salgado was shot and killed by California Highway Patrol officers in Oakland. His pregnant girlfriend was also injured in the shooting, NBC Bay Area reported.

Last night in East Oakland CHP officers shot and killed Eric Salgado during a traffic stop on the 9600 block of Cherry St. His family is out here mourning.
Police have not released much information about the incident. pic.twitter.com/e4JxH7Xjln

This is the block where the CHP shooting happened last night. Eric’s family is out here. Witnesses, including neighbors say the police shot upwards of 20 rounds into the car. pic.twitter.com/po1C3kFNbF

There’s thousands here. And they keep coming. CHP isn’t getting away with this. We’re putting an end to cops killing with impunity.

No justice, no peace. No racist police. #JusticeForErik pic.twitter.com/LQjmfZMbln

Related: 'George Floyd happens every day': activists seek justice for police killings the media forgot

The force of furious national protests over racist policing is rippling through many different industries now, as workers speak up about racist practices and racist bosses in culture industries like fashion, publishing, and media.

The editor-in-chief of beloved cooking brand Bon Appetit announced today that he is stepping down after photographs of him in “brown face” were recirculated on social media, and an editor spoke out about the “systemic racism” she had experienced at Bon Appetit and its parent company Conde Nast, including alleging that “currently only white editors are paid for their video appearances.” (A company spokesperson told Variety that was not true, but did not offer details.)

Condé Nast’s Bon Appetit Allegedly Pays Only White Editors for Videos, Image of EIC Adam Rapoport in Brown Face Surfaces https://t.co/vleRO9UvWN

Adam confusing Priya for Sohla told us all we needed to know pic.twitter.com/zWn6gIIcKj

Bon Apetit editor stepping down: pic.twitter.com/XSVmC6Do9Z

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Trump plans to resume election rallies despite warnings over large crowds

  • President has not held in-person rally since 2 March
  • Advisers weighing where and how rallies can take place

Donald Trump plans to start holding campaign rallies in person again in the next two weeks, despite the coronavirus pandemic continuing in the US and experts warning about the public health dangers of crowding at events.

Related: George Floyd killing: judge sets $1m bail for ex-officer Derek Chauvin

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Trump move to take US troops out of Germany ‘a dangerous game’

UK politicians and military experts warn decision could hand advantage to Russia

British politicians and European military experts have warned that Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw 9,500 troops from Germany risks handing a strategic advantage to the Kremlin and undermining the postwar western military alliance.

It would also affect the United States’s ability to operate in the Middle East and Africa – although there is scepticism as to whether the notoriously fickle president will be able to carry out the threat before November’s election.

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UK diplomats fear end of special relationship if Trump re-elected

Former senior officials also worry Britain may be sidelined if Joe Biden becomes president

The UK’s special relationship with the US may end if Donald Trump wins a second term, some of the UK’s most senior retired diplomats and Conservative foreign policy specialists have said. They also say that if the Democrat Joe Biden wins, Washington may view the EU rather than the UK as its primary partner.

The anxious assessment of what is at stake for Britain in the US presidential election in November has been made on and off the record in a variety of seminars over the past month, and underlines concerns at Trump’s performance during the coronavirus pandemic. It also reflects diplomatic outreach to the UK by Biden’s chief foreign policy adviser, Antony Blinken.

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Colin Powell endorses Joe Biden for US president

Ex-secretary of state and military leader during Bush presidencies becomes first major Republican to back Trump’s Democratic rival


Colin Powell endorsed Democratic former US vice-president Joe Biden on Sunday and said Donald Trump’s behaviour endangers democracy, becoming the first major Republican to publicly back Trump’s rival ahead of November’s election. 

Powell, who led the US military during the 1991 Gulf War in Iraq under Republican former President George HW Bush and later led the Department of State under President George W Bush, said Trump has “drifted away” from the US Constitution and “lies about things”. 

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Trump takes note as the far right lobbies for violent crackdown on peaceful protests

Republican politicians, media personalities and rightwing activists suggest a show of force to George Floyd protesters – and the result could be severe

As protests over the police killing of George Floyd continue across the US, a slew of influential rightwing figures have been urging an ever more violent crackdown on the demonstrations – and it appears Donald Trump is listening.

Republican politicians, media personalities and rightwing activists have floated ideas including deploying specific units of the military, while one Republican candidate for Congress has even suggested she will shoot protesters.

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US protests live: hundreds of thousands march against racial injustice

Large crowds from coast to coast demonstrate against police killing of George Floyd

The top editor of the Philadelphia Inquirer has resigned following an uproar over a headline bemoaning property damage incurred during the ongoing protests decrying police brutality and racial injustice, the newspaper has announced.

Guardian US reporter Nina Lakhani reports from Harlem:

Hundreds of people prayed and protested in Harlem this afternoon, in a peaceful and hopeful mobilization characterized by dignity, anger, resistance, and determination.

“Get off our necks,” and “racism is America’s original sin,” were among the hard-hitting truths chanted by protesters as they marched uptown from the National Black Theatre, a historical and cultural landmark situated on the corner of 5th Avenue and West 125th Street. Pastors and other faith leaders gave rousing speeches outside the theatre and other iconic spots including the Schomburg Centre for research in black culture – an internationally renowned archive for information on people of African descent which is located on the corner of Lennox Avenue and West 135th Street.

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The George Floyd murder and Covid-19 have hurt Trump, but maybe not fatally

The president’s approval ratings have dipped sharply but he could still beat Biden

Voter disapproval of Donald Trump’s handling of the George Floyd protests and the Covid-19 pandemic, plus the accompanying economic meltdown, have undoubtedly hurt the president’s re-election chances.

But it’s unclear whether the damage is fatal. Could Trump, despite everything, still stage a comeback and beat the Democratic nominee, Joe Biden?

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In life and death, George Floyd’s plight reflected the burden of being black in America

Floyd’s struggles resonate with many black Americans and the timing of his killing created a spark that lit this week’s uprising over centuries of racism

With a knee to his neck and head against the concrete, George Floyd became the face of one of the largest uprisings in modern American history.  His final moments at the hands of four Minneapolis police officers was replayed on social media and television all across a country that was already in crisis.

America is in an economic free fall as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. And it is black Americans who have been disproportionately impacted by mounting deaths and crushing job losses, making up a disproportionate number of the 42 million people left unemployed.

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Donald Trump orders 9,500 US troops to leave Germany

White House says move due to more Nato defence spending, not tensions with Angela Merkel

Donald Trump has ordered the US military to remove nearly 9,500 troops from Germany in a move likely to raise concerns in Europe about the US commitment to the region.

The move would reduce US troop numbers in Germany to 25,000, compared with the 34,500 currently there, a senior US official said.

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Donald Trump: ‘This is a great day’ for George Floyd – video

Donald Trump has claimed it is a ‘great day’ for George Floyd, after the US posted better than expected job numbers. ‘Hopefully, George is looking down right now and saying: “This is a great thing happening for our country,”’ the US president said of Floyd, who died while being restrained by police last week

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‘We will not be silent’: protests head into second weekend after George Floyd’s killing – live

After a day of protests across Australia, Guardian staff have compiled some of the most striking images.

Tens of thousands rallied in state capital cities and towns to march against Indigenous deaths in custody and the killing of George Floyd.

The nationwide anti-police brutality protests sparked by the killing of George Floyd in the US have been marked by widespread incidents of police violence, including punching, kicking, gassing, pepper-spraying and driving vehicles at often peaceful protesters in states across the country.

The actions have left thousands of protesters in jail and injured many others, leaving some with life-threatening injuries.

Related: Protests about police brutality are met with wave of police brutality across US

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Al Sharpton accuses Trump of using Bible as a prop during George Floyd eulogy – video

The Rev Al Sharpton gave a eulogy at a memorial service for George Floyd in Minneapolis and hit out at Donald Trump for posing with a Bible in front of a church in Washington DC. 'We cannot use Bibles as a prop,' Sharpton said. 'For those that have agendas that are not about justice, this family will not let you use George as a prop.' The US president sparked outrage from religious leaders, top Democrats in Congress and others when he visited the church across from the White House and posed holding a Bible after law enforcement officers cleared protesters using teargas

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