Estimated read time: 6-7 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
CONGRESS-BOLTON BOOK
As Bolton speaks, Congress shrugs and points to election
WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress is in no hurry to hear more tales of President Donald Trump from his former national security adviser. That's despite John Bolton's account of Trump's “obstruction of justice as a way of life,” from his 17 months in the White House. Bolton writes that Trump begged the Chinese president for political help. The House impeached Trump over a similar appeal to Ukraine's president. The Senate declined to ask Bolton to testify and ended up acquitting Trump. Now that Bolton has spoken, no congressional leaders were rushing to hear from him directly because they believe the election is too close.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION-DEPARTURE
Report: State Dept official quits over Trump race response
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Washington Post reported that a State Department official resigned Thursday over President Donald Trump’s response to racial tensions sweeping the country over the killings of black people by police. Mary Elizabeth Taylor, the assistant secretary of state for legislative affairs, said in her resignation letter that Trump’s actions “cut sharply against my core values and convictions.” At 30, Taylor was the youngest person to hold her position, and she was also the first black woman in the job, according to the Post. Taylor’s resignation follows weeks of turmoil sweeping the United States following the killing of George Floyd by a white police officer in Minneapolis.
AP-US-AMERICA-PROTESTS-KENTUCKY
Kentucky AG urges patience amid probe of Taylor's death
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky's attorney general has asked for patience as his office investigates the shooting death of a black woman by Louisville police. Attorney General Daniel Cameron said Thursday he recognizes the urgency to “find the truth." Cameron declined to publicly set a timetable for the completion of the investigation into the death of Breonna Taylor. Protesters in Louisville and across the country have demanded justice for Taylor and other black Americans killed by police. Taylor was shot eight times by officers who burst into her home while conducting a narcotics investigation on March 13. No drugs were found at her home.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-MEXICO
Mexico posts record 5,662 new coronavirus cases in one day
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico has posted another record one-day increase in confirmed oronavirus cases, with 5,662. At the same time, officials reported 667 more deaths Thursday. The daily death toll has been hovering around 700 for much of this week, but the daily case load increase has usually remained below 5,000. Officials have acknowledged that both figures are undercounts because of a lack of testing and delayed results. The Health Department said Mexico has performed only about 450,000 tests since the pandemic began. Officials say the country is on a plateau with few signs of decrease, even as the economy starts reopening.
AP-US-VIRUS-OUTBREAK-NURSING-HOMES
Nursing homes represent more than 1 in 4 COVID-19 deaths
WASHINGTON (AP) — Nursing homes residents account for nearly 1 in 10 of all the coronavirus cases in the United States and more than a quarter of the deaths. That's according to an Associated Press analysis of government data released Thursday. AP’s analysis of data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services found that nationwide nursing homes reported nearly 179,000 suspected or confirmed cases among residents and 29,497 deaths. A special House panel on the coronavirus pandemic this week launched an investigation into the crisis in nursing homes, raising questions about federal oversight. The Trump administration is pointing a finger at low-rated facilities.
POLICE BRUTALITY-OREGON-LAWSUIT
Lawsuit: Deputy pinned black boy with knee to neck in Oregon
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The mother of a 12-year-old African American boy has filed a $300,000 lawsuit saying three Clackamas County Sheriff’s deputies pinned him down to the ground — one by pressing a knee on his neck. The incident happened in August, over nine months before the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police sparked national outrage. Lawyers for the boy say he committed no crimes and was a witness to a fight between two girls he didn’t know at Clackamas Town Center. Clackamas County Sheriff Craig Roberts said an investigation last year found no deputy placed a knee on the boy's neck.
AP POLL-TRUMP
AP-NORC poll: Trump adds to divisions in an unhappy country
WASHINGTON (AP) — A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that Americans are deeply unhappy about the state of their country. The survey also reveals that a majority think President Donald Trump is exacerbating tensions in a moment of national crisis. With less than five months until Election Day, the poll offers few bright spots for Trump, who is confronting a historic pandemic, a sharp economic decline and national outrage over police brutality. Most Americans say the country is heading in the wrong direction, including 63% of Republicans. Close to two-thirds of Americans say Trump is making America more divided.
GEORGE FLOYD-MINNESOTA LEGISLATURE
Minnesota Democrats press GOP for sweeping policing changes
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has challenged Republican lawmakers to pass a Democratic-backed package of police accountability bills crafted following George Floyd's death. He says he wants the “poetic justice” of signing them Friday in celebration of Juneteenth, which marks the end of slavery in the U.S. The Minnesota Senate’s GOP majority passed a limited set of measures Wednesday that the Democratic governor dismissed as “weak sauce.” He says he'll consider this week’s special session “a total failure” if lawmakers head home without passing the policing overhaul. Republican Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka says the session will adjourn Friday, even if the two chambers aren't in agreement.
BC-US-DEA DISCRIMINATION CLAIMS
Retired DEA agents say agency has legacy of discrimination
NEW YORK (AP) — Dozens of retired black narcotics agents say the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has discriminated against its African-American employees for decades. The group of retired agents said in a statement sent to news organizations that Attorney General William Barr was out of touch with racial disparities in federal law enforcement. They pointed to a federal court ruling just last year that held the DEA liable for damages against black agents who faced discrimination when seeking promotions. The DEA said its policies “make clear that racism and discrimination will not be tolerated.”
AP-US-VIRUS-OUTBREAK-AIRLINES-FACE-MASKS
American Airlines bans man who refused to wear face mask
DALLAS (AP) — American Airlines has banned a man for not wearing a face covering on a plane. The airline said Thursday that the man was removed from a plane in New York earlier this week for ignoring crew members' request to wear a mask. It's among the first such incidents since airlines promised this week to step up enforcement of their mask-wearing rules. The man, conservative activist Brandon Straka, recorded some of the incident and noted in a video posted on Twitter that there is no federal law requiring passengers to wear face masks. That is true. American and most other airlines imposed the rule last month, with exceptions allowed for young children, people with medical conditions, and passengers who are eating or drinking.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
