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BEIJING (AP) — City authorities are moving quickly to stem a new outbreak of COVID-19 in Beijing after the discovery of seven cases in the past two days. The National Health Commission says six cases were confirmed on Friday. The first case was reported the previous day. They are the first locally transmitted cases in the Chinese capital in more than 50 days. Chinese media say at least two of the infected people had visited a wholesale market dealing in fresh food. Authorities say all workers at that market are being tested for the coronavirus and also ordered the testing of food and environmental samples from all the city’s wholesale food markets. South Korea has reported 49 new cases, most of them in the Seoul metropolitan area.
UNDATED (AP) — The spread of the coronavirus is encroaching on Guatemala President Alejandro Giammattei. He says 58 employees in the presidential offices have tested positive for the virus, up from 18 on Sunday. Those who have tested positive include people from administration and security areas. Giammattei says he has been tested multiple times, but always has come out negative. On Friday, Guatemala reported more than 8,600 infections and 351 deaths.
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (AP) — A U.S. Air Force sergeant could face the death penalty if he is convicted of a deadly ambush-style attack on unsuspecting officers in Northern California. Santa Cruz County District Attorney Jeffrey Rosell says Friday he hadn’t yet decided whether he would seek the death penalty for Staff Sgt. Steven Carrillo, even though Gov. Gavin Newsom has put a moratorium on executions. Carrillo is accused of shooting and killing Santa Cruz County sheriff’s Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller last weekend and wounding four other officers in the community of Ben Lomond. The FBI is investigating whether Carrillo has links to the killing of a federal security officer outside the U.S. courthouse in Oakland during a protest against police brutality last month.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The cases of the four fired Minneapolis police officers charged in the death of George Floyd have been assigned to a Hennepin County judge with experience as both a defense attorney and a prosecutor. Judge Peter Cahill has been assigned to oversee the cases of Derek Chauvin, J. Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao. All four are scheduled to appear before Cahill at 12:15 p.m. on June 29. Defense attorneys have 10 days to ask for a new judge, but they'd have no say in who replaces him. Earl Gray, Lane’s attorney, says he wouldn’t think of removing Cahill. Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder and other counts. The other officers are charged with aiding and abetting.
SEATTLE (AP) — A U.S. judge has ordered Seattle police to temporarily stop using tear gas, pepper spray and flash-bang devices to break up peaceful protests. The two-week order Friday is a victory for groups who say authorities overreacted to recent demonstrations over police brutality and racial injustice after the death of George Floyd in Minnesota. A Black Lives Matter group sued the Seattle Police Department this week to halt the violent tactics it has used to break up largely peaceful protests in recent days. The mayor and police chief have apologized. But the police chief has said some demonstrators violently targeted police, throwing projectiles and ignoring orders to disperse.
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