Middle of June

As I mentioned, there have been a lot of current events going on recently. Since we're now halfway through the month, I thought I'd just summarize what has happened so far at the end of May and in June:

On Memorial Day (May 25), George Floyd, an unarmed black man, was killed by a police officer in Minneapolis, kicking off a wave of protests around the country (and world). Though largely peaceful, some did escalate to violence, with things like tear gas and rubber bullets being used against protesters. At one point, they turned out all the lights in the White House while the president retreated to his bunker (which he later claimed he was just inspecting). At another point, the peaceful protesters in Lafayette Square, a public space for protesting directly in front of the White House, were forcibly cleared out so the president could walk through and awkwardly pose with a bible in front of a church. There has been lots of concern about the spread of the coronavirus as people gathered in crowds, but from what I've seen, most protesters were wearing masks, and as of now, two weeks later, there hasn't been a marked increase in infections as a result 🙏

In the midst of major protests the following weekend, a large shopping mall in my community was targeted for some post-protest looting. Law enforcement came in from all over the county, and besides a couple smashed windows, it turned out to be a non-event. (However, some footage of other malls being looted was shared on social media, saying that it's our mall - it was not.) I spent the evening listening to sirens and helicopters overhead.

On Wednesday, June 3, a fast-moving wind storm called a "derecho" blew through my region. Within about half an hour, it caused major damage and left hundreds of thousands without power. My power was out for a couple days, but other family members didn't get it back until the weekend. Even now, 3 weeks later, damage is still being cleaned up from this storm.

In a weirdly positive turn of events for 2020, the Supreme Court ruled this week that employers cannot discriminate based on sexual orientation or transgender status, and turned down a case against California's "sanctuary state" laws. The FDA also revoked its emergency use authorization for chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, the experimental drugs the president was touting. This must be a really bad week for him.

The Black Lives Matter protests seem to have been the catalyst or tipping point for change, or at least awareness or understanding. Again, in an uncharacteristic move, NASCAR has outlawed the confederate flag and actually designed a BLM-themed car. The NFL changed their stance on protests during the national anthem. Many businesses, including my own employer, have come out with unequivocal statements supporting the BLM movement. And still others are using their platform to promote marginalized voices.

The mayor of Washington, DC, renamed the road leading to Lafayette Square (and facing
the White House) as Black Lives Matter Place, with giant text painted on the street