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Amid Coronavirus Surge, Protests For Racial Justice: Checking In Across The Country

People hold signs toward traffic outside a burned Wendys restaurant on the second day following the police shooting death of Rayshard Brooks in the restaurant parking lot June 14, 2020, in Atlanta, Georgia. (ELIJAH NOUVELAGE/AFP via Getty Images)
People hold signs toward traffic outside a burned Wendys restaurant on the second day following the police shooting death of Rayshard Brooks in the restaurant parking lot June 14, 2020, in Atlanta, Georgia. (ELIJAH NOUVELAGE/AFP via Getty Images)

Some states are reopening, while others have reversed course, as protests for racial justice continue across America. We check in around the country.

Guests

Rose Scott, host of “Closer Look with Rose Scott” on WABE, an NPR station in Atlanta. (@waberosescott)

Luis Hernandez, host of “Sundial” on WLRN since 2017. WLRN afternoon anchor on “All Things Considered.” Former host of “State of Nevada” on KNPR. (@RadioLFH)

Lauren Gilger, co-host of “The Show” on KJZZ, an NPR station in Phoenix, Arizona. (@laurengilger)

Casey Martin, features and daily news reporter at KUOW, an NPR station in Seattle, Washington. (@caseyworks)

Alex Samuels, political reporter for the Texas Tribune. (@AlexSamuelsx5)

From The Reading List

KJZZ: “The National Guard Flew A Spy Plane Over Phoenix Protests. Here’s What We know” — “Protests continued in the Valley over the weekend. Yesterday marked the 18th straight day we’ve seen crowds gather in downtown Phoenix and in cities across the Valley to protest police violence against people of color.”

Texas Tribune: “Anger, anguish and calls for change mark George Floyd’s memorial in Houston” — “Bennie Jenkins had no relation to George Floyd, but as a fellow graduate of Jack Yates High School in Houston, she still considers him family.”

WABE: “Community members gathered at the site where an Atlanta police officer fatally shot 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks over the weekend to demand answers from local lawmakers and representatives.” — “This Sunday, “Closer Look” was on the scene at the Wendy’s on University Avenue as community members gathered in response to the death of 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks, who was fatally shot by an Atlanta police officer on Friday.”

WLRN: “‘A Systematically Racist Institution’: Sundial Conversation on Criminal Justice Reform” — “Protests are scheduled across South Florida this weekend, continuing the national conversation around police violence and their role in our communities.”

KUOW: “The ballad of the 8th Precinct” — “‘You have the riot to remain heard.'”

WABE: “Fulton County Chair Calls For Task Force To Address Voting Challenges” — “Smyrna Mayor Derek Norton and Smyrna Police Chief Joseph Bennett discuss a newly-passed resolution that condemns racism.”

KUOW: “Dispatches from CHAZ, Seattle’s new autonomous zone” — “For 10 nights, protesters faced off with police on Capitol Hill in Seattle. The protesters wanted racial justice, for system overhaul. For the police to be defunded.”

Bloomberg: “Virus Cases Continue to Rise, Undermining States’ Reopening” — “Covid-19 cases continued to climb in a number of U.S. states over the weekend, threatening recent efforts to relax restrictions and revive businesses after months of lockdowns.”

Washington Post: “As coronavirus cases climb, some local officials put reopening on hold” — “A rise in coronavirus cases is spurring leaders in some cities and states to delay reopening additional businesses and warn that a return to stricter shutdown orders is possible should cases continue to climb.”

Vox: “The new coronavirus spikes, explained” — “In many parts of the United States, Covid-19 appears to be surging.”

The Economist: “Covid-19 has become one of the biggest killers of 2020” — “The first known death from covid-19 occurred on January 9th in the Chinese city of Wuhan. Since then more than 235,000 lives have been lost to the disease, making it more deadly than the SARS, H1N1, MERS, and Ebola epidemics combined.”

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “Atlanta protests: Residents call for change following Rayshard Brooks death” — “Atlanta residents planned to gather around the city Monday evening to protest racism and police brutality.”

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

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