ATLANTA (AP) — Protesters burned businesses in Minneapolis. They smashed police cars and windows in Atlanta, broke into police headquarters in Portland, Oregon, and chanted curses at President Donald Trump outside the White House. Thousands also demonstrated peacefully, demanding justice for George Floyd, a black man who died after a white officer pressed a knee into his neck.

As anger over Floyd’s killing spread to cities nationwide, local leaders increasingly said they could need help from National Guardsmen or even military police to contain the unrest.

Georgia’s governor declared a state of emergency early Saturday to activate the state National Guard as violence flared in Atlanta. Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler also declared an emergency and ordered a nighttime curfew for the city.

Another 500 Guard soldiers were mobilized in and around Minneapolis, where Floyd died and an officer faced charges Friday in his death. But after another night of watching fires burn and businesses ransacked, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said early Saturday that he was moving to activate more than 1,000 more and was considering federal help.

The Guard was also on standby in the District of Columbia, where a crowd grew outside the White House and chanted curses at President Donald Trump. Some protesters tried to push through barriers set up by the U.S. Secret Service along Pennsylvania Avenue, and threw bottles and other objects at officers wearing riot gear, who responded with pepper spray.

“I just feel like he’s just one of many names that we’ve had to create hashtags and T-shirts and campaigns for and I feel like nothing has changed,” district resident Abe Neri said of Floyd. “And so that’s why I’m out here. Yeah, when you say nothing you’re taking the side of the oppressor.”

Many protesters echoed that frustration, that Floyd’s death was one more in a litany. The anger that seized the nation comes in the wake of the killing in Georgia of Ahmaud Arbery, who was shot after being pursued by a white father and son while running in their neighborhood, and in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic that has thrown millions out of work, killed more than 100,000 people in the U.S. and disproportionately affected black people.

In scenes both peaceful and violent across the nation, thousands of protesters chanted “No justice, no peace” and “Say his name. George Floyd.” They hoisted signs reading: “He said I can’t breathe. Justice for George.”

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp tweeted that up to 500 members of the Guard would deploy immediately “to protect people &amp; property in Atlanta.” He said he acted at the request of Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who earlier appealed in vain for calm.

Some demonstrators smashed police cars and spray-painted the iconic logo sign at CNN headquarters in downtown Atlanta. At least three officers were hurt and there were multiple arrests, Atlanta police spokesman Carlos Campos said, as protesters shot at officers with BB guns and threw bricks, bottles and knives.

Atlanta officials said crews were temporarily unable to reach a fire at Del Frisco’s restaurant in the Buckhead neighborhood several miles north because of protesters there.

“This is not in the spirit of Martin Luther King, Jr.,” Bottoms said. “You are disgracing the life of George Floyd and every other person who has been killed in this country.”

Bottoms was flanked by King’s daughter, Bernice King, and rappers T.I. and Killer Mike.

“We have to be better than burning down our own homes. Because if we lose Atlanta what have we got?” said Killer Mike, crying as he spoke.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1590852590835.png" alt="Photo:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/diversey/">Tony Webster</a>&nbsp;(Edited for size)" />
 <figcaption>Photo:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/diversey/">Tony Webster</a>&nbsp;(Edited for size)</figcaption>
 </figure>By SUDHIN THANAWALAATLANTA (AP) — Protesters burned businesses in Minneapolis. They smashed police cars and windows in Atlanta, broke into police headquarters in Portland, Oregon, and chanted curses at President Donald Trump outside the White House. Thousands also demonstrated peacefully, demanding justice for George Floyd, a black man who died after a white officer pressed a knee into his neck.As anger over Floyd’s killing spread to cities nationwide, local leaders increasingly said they could need help from National Guardsmen or even military police to contain the unrest.Georgia’s governor declared a state of emergency early Saturday to activate the state National Guard as violence flared in Atlanta. Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler also declared an emergency and ordered a nighttime curfew for the city.Another 500 Guard soldiers were mobilized in and around Minneapolis, where Floyd died and an officer faced charges Friday in his death. But after another night of watching fires burn and businesses ransacked, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said early Saturday that he was moving to activate more than 1,000 more and was considering federal help.The Guard was also on standby in the District of Columbia, where a crowd grew outside the White House and chanted curses at President Donald Trump. Some protesters tried to push through barriers set up by the U.S. Secret Service along Pennsylvania Avenue, and threw bottles and other objects at officers wearing riot gear, who responded with pepper spray.“I just feel like he’s just one of many names that we’ve had to create hashtags and T-shirts and campaigns for and I feel like nothing has changed,” district resident Abe Neri said of Floyd. “And so that’s why I’m out here. Yeah, when you say nothing you’re taking the side of the oppressor.”Many protesters echoed that frustration, that Floyd’s death was one more in a litany. The anger that seized the nation comes in the wake of the killing in Georgia of Ahmaud Arbery, who was shot after being pursued by a white father and son while running in their neighborhood, and in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic that has thrown millions out of work, killed more than 100,000 people in the U.S. and disproportionately affected black people.In scenes both peaceful and violent across the nation, thousands of protesters chanted “No justice, no peace” and “Say his name. George Floyd.” They hoisted signs reading: “He said I can’t breathe. Justice for George.”Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp tweeted that up to 500 members of the Guard would deploy immediately “to protect people &amp; property in Atlanta.” He said he acted at the request of Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who earlier appealed in vain for calm.Some demonstrators smashed police cars and spray-painted the iconic logo sign at CNN headquarters in downtown Atlanta. At least three officers were hurt and there were multiple arrests, Atlanta police spokesman Carlos Campos said, as protesters shot at officers with BB guns and threw bricks, bottles and knives.Atlanta officials said crews were temporarily unable to reach a fire at Del Frisco’s restaurant in the Buckhead neighborhood several miles north because of protesters there.“This is not in the spirit of Martin Luther King, Jr.,” Bottoms said. “You are disgracing the life of George Floyd and every other person who has been killed in this country.”Bottoms was flanked by King’s daughter, Bernice King, and rappers T.I. and Killer Mike.“We have to be better than burning down our own homes. Because if we lose Atlanta what have we got?” said Killer Mike, crying as he spoke.

National Guard summoned to aid cities amid police clashes

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota has reported five new deaths from COVID-19, along with 77 new cases. So far, 59 people have died from COVID-19 statewide during the pandemic. 

All but one of the deaths reported Friday were in Minnehaha County, which is the state’s most populated area and has seen the bulk of infections. 

The other death came from Beadle County, where a spike in infections occurred recently. 

The deaths came from people in their 40s, 70s and over 80. 

The state has tallied 4,866 total cases of the virus. 

Almost 80% of those people have recovered.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota has reported five new deaths from COVID-19, along with 77 new cases. So far, 59 people have died from COVID-19 statewide during the pandemic. All but one of the deaths reported Friday were in Minnehaha County, which is the state’s most populated area and has seen the bulk of infections. The other death came from Beadle County, where a spike in infections occurred recently. The deaths came from people in their 40s, 70s and over 80. The state has tallied 4,866 total cases of the virus. Almost 80% of those people have recovered.

South Dakota reports 5 COVID-19 deaths, 77 cases

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Omaha police used tear gas Friday to disperse hundreds of people that blocked one of the city's busiest intersections and smashed windows of an empty furniture store after a peaceful gathering earlier in the evening.

Live video from KETV-TV showed police trying to push protesters out of the intersection and explosions of tear gas at the intersection of 72nd and Dodge streets, a heavily traveled business district. Some protesters said they had been hit by rubber bullets.

The gathering follows the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis after police officer Derek Chauvin pressed a knee into his neck. Protests in Minneapolis and St. Paul have spread to other cities around the country.

<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FOmahaPoliceDepartment%2Fvideos%2F576115383049013%2F&show_text=0&width=267" width="267" height="476" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Omaha police used tear gas Friday to disperse hundreds of people that blocked one of the city's busiest intersections and smashed windows of an empty furniture store after a peaceful gathering earlier in the evening.Live video from KETV-TV showed police trying to push protesters out of the intersection and explosions of tear gas at the intersection of 72nd and Dodge streets, a heavily traveled business district. Some protesters said they had been hit by rubber bullets.The gathering follows the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis after police officer Derek Chauvin pressed a knee into his neck. Protests in Minneapolis and St. Paul have spread to other cities around the country.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FOmahaPoliceDepartment%2Fvideos%2F715080572598344%2F&show_text=0&width=267" width="267" height="476" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>

Omaha police use tear gas on George Floyd protesters

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has added fuel to racial fires, calling violent protesters outraged by the death of a black man in police custody “thugs” and reviving a civil-rights era phrase fraught with racist overtones. 

 On Friday, he threatened to take action to bring the city of Minneapolis “under control.” And he tweeted that “when the looting starts, the shooting starts," which Twitter quickly flagged as violating rules against “glorifying violence.” 

Trump said what he meant was that, “Looting leads to shooting” and that “nobody should have any problem with this other than the haters, and those looking to cause trouble on social media.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has added fuel to racial fires, calling violent protesters outraged by the death of a black man in police custody “thugs” and reviving a civil-rights era phrase fraught with racist overtones. On Friday, he threatened to take action to bring the city of Minneapolis “under control.” And he tweeted that “when the looting starts, the shooting starts," which Twitter quickly flagged as violating rules against “glorifying violence.” Trump said what he meant was that, “Looting leads to shooting” and that “nobody should have any problem with this other than the haters, and those looking to cause trouble on social media.”

Trump adds fuel to protest fires with denounced tweet

LINCOLN&nbsp; — The Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) is investigating a crash that claimed the life of two pedestrians Thursday in Friend.

At approximately 8:50 a.m. Thursday, the Friend Police Department responded to a car-pedestrian crash at 416 Page Street in Friend. The crash occurred when a northbound pickup crossed into the southbound lane and struck two pedestrians who were walking southbound on Page Street.

The pedestrians were Isaac Speece, 11, of Friend, and his caregiver, Crystal Gerdes, 53, of Milford. Speece was in a wheelchair at the time of the crash. He was transported to Friend Hospital where he passed away. Gerdes was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The driver of the pickup, Thomas Schiffern, 76, of Friend, was not injured in the crash. The crash remains under investigation.

LINCOLN&nbsp; — The Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) is investigating a crash that claimed the life of two pedestrians Thursday in Friend.At approximately 8:50 a.m. Thursday, the Friend Police Department responded to a car-pedestrian crash at 416 Page Street in Friend. The crash occurred when a northbound pickup crossed into the southbound lane and struck two pedestrians who were walking southbound on Page Street.The pedestrians were Isaac Speece, 11, of Friend, and his caregiver, Crystal Gerdes, 53, of Milford. Speece was in a wheelchair at the time of the crash. He was transported to Friend Hospital where he passed away. Gerdes was pronounced deceased at the scene.The driver of the pickup, Thomas Schiffern, 76, of Friend, was not injured in the crash. The crash remains under investigation.

Child, caretaker killed in car-pedestrian crash

GRAND ISLAND&nbsp; — Nebraska State Troopers have arrested a Lincoln man who was wanted in connection with a shooting that occurred just after midnight Thursday in Grand Island. The arrest is the result of an 18-hour search for the suspect between Aurora and Henderson.

At approximately 12:50 a.m. Thursday, a trooper observed a Chevrolet Trailblazer traveling eastbound on Interstate 80 near Aurora. The vehicle matched the description of one being sought by the Grand Island Police Department in connection with a shooting that occurred approximately 30 minutes earlier.

The trooper initiated a traffic stop near mile marker 335. Two occupants of the vehicle were quickly taken into custody, but a third occupant fled the traffic stop on foot. Additional troopers and Hamilton County Sheriff’s Deputies arrived on scene to search the area. The person who fled the traffic stop was identified as the suspect of the shooting currently under investigation by Grand Island Police.

Law enforcement continued searching the area throughout the day. Thursday afternoon, an arrest warrant was issued in Hall County for Antoine Johnson, 33, of Lincoln, on charges of attempt of a Class I/1A/1B/1C/1D felony, use of a firearm to commit a felony, assault in the 1st&nbsp;degree, and use of a firearm to commit a felony.

Late Thursday afternoon, NSP received information that Johnson may be in the area just south of Interstate 80 at the Henderson exit at mile marker 342. Troopers proceeded to the scene and were able to locate Johnson hiding in a ditch approximately one mile south of I-80. Johnson was taken into custody at approximately 6:45 p.m. without incident.

Johnson has been transported to Hall County Jail. The Grand Island Police Department is the lead investigating agency of the shooting that took place early Thursday morning.

GRAND ISLAND&nbsp; — Nebraska State Troopers have arrested a Lincoln man who was wanted in connection with a shooting that occurred just after midnight Thursday in Grand Island. The arrest is the result of an 18-hour search for the suspect between Aurora and Henderson.At approximately 12:50 a.m. Thursday, a trooper observed a Chevrolet Trailblazer traveling eastbound on Interstate 80 near Aurora. The vehicle matched the description of one being sought by the Grand Island Police Department in connection with a shooting that occurred approximately 30 minutes earlier.The trooper initiated a traffic stop near mile marker 335. Two occupants of the vehicle were quickly taken into custody, but a third occupant fled the traffic stop on foot. Additional troopers and Hamilton County Sheriff’s Deputies arrived on scene to search the area. The person who fled the traffic stop was identified as the suspect of the shooting currently under investigation by Grand Island Police.Law enforcement continued searching the area throughout the day. Thursday afternoon, an arrest warrant was issued in Hall County for Antoine Johnson, 33, of Lincoln, on charges of attempt of a Class I/1A/1B/1C/1D felony, use of a firearm to commit a felony, assault in the 1st&nbsp;degree, and use of a firearm to commit a felony.Late Thursday afternoon, NSP received information that Johnson may be in the area just south of Interstate 80 at the Henderson exit at mile marker 342. Troopers proceeded to the scene and were able to locate Johnson hiding in a ditch approximately one mile south of I-80. Johnson was taken into custody at approximately 6:45 p.m. without incident.Johnson has been transported to Hall County Jail. The Grand Island Police Department is the lead investigating agency of the shooting that took place early Thursday morning.

Grand Island shooting suspect arrested near Henderson

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A northern Nebraska tomato-growing and packing plant accused of hiring people living in the country illegally has been fined $400,000. 

Federal prosecutors say the fine was handed down Wednesday at sentencing for O'Neill Ventures Inc. 

The business pleaded guilty in February to conspiracy to harboring undocumented workers. 

At the time of the plea, the company accepted terms that called for the $400,000 fine and to allow Homeland Security inspectors to review the company’s hiring practices. 

The business was among those in Nebraska and Minnesota raided by federal agents in 2018 and accused by officials of knowingly hiring immigrants who were in the U.S. illegally.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A northern Nebraska tomato-growing and packing plant accused of hiring people living in the country illegally has been fined $400,000. Federal prosecutors say the fine was handed down Wednesday at sentencing for O'Neill Ventures Inc. The business pleaded guilty in February to conspiracy to harboring undocumented workers. At the time of the plea, the company accepted terms that called for the $400,000 fine and to allow Homeland Security inspectors to review the company’s hiring practices. The business was among those in Nebraska and Minnesota raided by federal agents in 2018 and accused by officials of knowingly hiring immigrants who were in the U.S. illegally.

Nebraska tomato-growing plant fined $400K

By TIM SULLIVAN and AMY FORLITI-Associated Press&nbsp;&nbsp;

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Cheering protesters torched a Minneapolis police station that the department abandoned as three days of violent protests spread to nearby St. Paul and angry demonstrations flared across the U.S over the death of George Floyd, a handcuffed black man who pleaded for air as a white police officer kneeled on his neck.

A police spokesman confirmed late Thursday that staff had evacuated the 3rd Precinct station, the focus of many of the protests, “in the interest of the safety of our personnel” shortly after 10 p.m. Livestream video showed the protesters entering the building, where fire alarms blared and sprinklers ran as blazes were set.

Protesters could be seen setting fire to a Minneapolis Police Department jacket.

Late Thursday, President Donald Trump blasted the “total lack of leadership” in Minneapolis. “Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts,” he said on Twitter. Trump, who called protesters in Minneapolis “thugs,”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/f62ed59014cbf43fc1da21e3fcbfe904">drew another warning</a>&nbsp;from Twitter for his rhetoric, saying it violated the platform’s rules about “glorifying violence.”

A visibly tired and frustrated Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey made his first public appearance of the night at City Hall near 2 a.m. Friday and took responsibility for evacuating the precinct, saying it had become too dangerous for officers there. As Frey continued, a reporter cut across loudly with a question: “What’s the plan here?”

“With regard to?” Frey responded. Then he added: “There is a lot of pain and anger right now in our city. I understand that ... What we have seen over the past several hours and past couple of nights here in terms of looting is unacceptable.”

He defended the city’s lack of engagement with looters — only a handful of arrests across the first two nights of violence — and said, “We are doing absolutely everything that we can to keep the peace.” He said National Guard members were being stationed in locations to help stem looting, including banks, grocery stores and pharmacies.

On Friday morning, the Minnesota State Patrol&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/eadfe65c7ce593d04c0aef7eb0276e22">arrested a CNN television crew</a>&nbsp;as they reported on the unrest in Minneapolis. While live on air, CNN reporter Omar Jimenez was handcuffed and led away. A producer and a photojournalist for CNN were also led away in handcuffs.

The Minnesota State Patrol said the journalists were among four people arrested as troopers were “clearing the streets and restoring order,” and they were released after being confirmed to be media members. CNN said on Twitter that the arrests were “a clear violation of their First Amendment rights.”

Atlanta-based CNN said that the crew, which included CNN reporter Omar Jimenez, was released later Friday morning.

While live on air, Jimenez was handcuffed and led away. A producer and a photojournalist for CNN were also led away in handcuffs.

CNN’s communications team earlier said on Twitter that the crew was arrested “for doing their jobs, despite identifying themselves — a clear violation of their First Amendment rights.”

The Minnesota State Patrol said on Twitter that the journalists were among four people arrested as troopers were “clearing the streets and restoring order.” The patrol said they “were released once they were confirmed to be members of the media.”

Late Thursday in Minneapolis, cheering protesters torched a police station that the department abandoned as three days of violent protests spread to nearby St. Paul and angry demonstrations flared across the U.S.

Thick smoke rose over the city as fires burned Friday morning. Firefighters worked to contain a number of fires as National Guard troops blocked access to streets where businesses had been damaged. They marched side by side and block by block as they expanded a perimeter around a heavily damaged area.

Protests first erupted Tuesday, a day after Floyd’s death in a confrontation with police captured on widely seen citizen video. On the video, Floyd can be seen pleading as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/a69682cfc7dd6f99260315b5a68fe6ec">Officer Derek Chauvin</a>&nbsp;presses his knee against him. As minutes pass, Floyd slowly stops talking and moving. The 3rd Precinct covers the portion of south Minneapolis where Floyd was arrested.

Walz earlier Thursday activated the National Guard at the Minneapolis mayor’s request. The Guard tweeted minutes after the precinct burned that it had activated more than 500 soldiers across the metro area. A couple dozen Guard members, armed with assault-style rifles, blocked a street Friday morning near a Target store that has sustained heavy damage by looters.

The Guard said a “key objective” was to make sure fire departments could respond to calls, and said in a follow-up tweet it was “here with the Minneapolis Fire Department” to assist. But no move was made to put out the 3rd Precinct fire. Assistant Fire Chief Bryan Tyner said fire crews could not safely respond to fires at the precinct station and some surrounding buildings.

Earlier Thursday, dozens of businesses across the Twin Cities boarded up their windows and doors in an effort to prevent looting, with Minneapolis-based Target announcing it was temporarily closing two dozen area stores. Minneapolis shut down nearly its entire light-rail system and all bus service through Sunday out of safety concerns.

By TIM SULLIVAN and AMY FORLITI-Associated Press&nbsp;&nbsp;MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Cheering protesters torched a Minneapolis police station that the department abandoned as three days of violent protests spread to nearby St. Paul and angry demonstrations flared across the U.S over the death of George Floyd, a handcuffed black man who pleaded for air as a white police officer kneeled on his neck.A police spokesman confirmed late Thursday that staff had evacuated the 3rd Precinct station, the focus of many of the protests, “in the interest of the safety of our personnel” shortly after 10 p.m. Livestream video showed the protesters entering the building, where fire alarms blared and sprinklers ran as blazes were set.Protesters could be seen setting fire to a Minneapolis Police Department jacket.Late Thursday, President Donald Trump blasted the “total lack of leadership” in Minneapolis. “Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts,” he said on Twitter. Trump, who called protesters in Minneapolis “thugs,”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/f62ed59014cbf43fc1da21e3fcbfe904">drew another warning</a>&nbsp;from Twitter for his rhetoric, saying it violated the platform’s rules about “glorifying violence.”A visibly tired and frustrated Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey made his first public appearance of the night at City Hall near 2 a.m. Friday and took responsibility for evacuating the precinct, saying it had become too dangerous for officers there. As Frey continued, a reporter cut across loudly with a question: “What’s the plan here?”“With regard to?” Frey responded. Then he added: “There is a lot of pain and anger right now in our city. I understand that ... What we have seen over the past several hours and past couple of nights here in terms of looting is unacceptable.”He defended the city’s lack of engagement with looters — only a handful of arrests across the first two nights of violence — and said, “We are doing absolutely everything that we can to keep the peace.” He said National Guard members were being stationed in locations to help stem looting, including banks, grocery stores and pharmacies.On Friday morning, the Minnesota State Patrol&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/eadfe65c7ce593d04c0aef7eb0276e22">arrested a CNN television crew</a>&nbsp;as they reported on the unrest in Minneapolis. While live on air, CNN reporter Omar Jimenez was handcuffed and led away. A producer and a photojournalist for CNN were also led away in handcuffs.The Minnesota State Patrol said the journalists were among four people arrested as troopers were “clearing the streets and restoring order,” and they were released after being confirmed to be media members. CNN said on Twitter that the arrests were “a clear violation of their First Amendment rights.”Atlanta-based CNN said that the crew, which included CNN reporter Omar Jimenez, was released later Friday morning.While live on air, Jimenez was handcuffed and led away. A producer and a photojournalist for CNN were also led away in handcuffs.CNN’s communications team earlier said on Twitter that the crew was arrested “for doing their jobs, despite identifying themselves — a clear violation of their First Amendment rights.”The Minnesota State Patrol said on Twitter that the journalists were among four people arrested as troopers were “clearing the streets and restoring order.” The patrol said they “were released once they were confirmed to be members of the media.”Late Thursday in Minneapolis, cheering protesters torched a police station that the department abandoned as three days of violent protests spread to nearby St. Paul and angry demonstrations flared across the U.S.Thick smoke rose over the city as fires burned Friday morning. Firefighters worked to contain a number of fires as National Guard troops blocked access to streets where businesses had been damaged. They marched side by side and block by block as they expanded a perimeter around a heavily damaged area.Protests first erupted Tuesday, a day after Floyd’s death in a confrontation with police captured on widely seen citizen video. On the video, Floyd can be seen pleading as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/a69682cfc7dd6f99260315b5a68fe6ec">Officer Derek Chauvin</a>&nbsp;presses his knee against him. As minutes pass, Floyd slowly stops talking and moving. The 3rd Precinct covers the portion of south Minneapolis where Floyd was arrested.Walz earlier Thursday activated the National Guard at the Minneapolis mayor’s request. The Guard tweeted minutes after the precinct burned that it had activated more than 500 soldiers across the metro area. A couple dozen Guard members, armed with assault-style rifles, blocked a street Friday morning near a Target store that has sustained heavy damage by looters.The Guard said a “key objective” was to make sure fire departments could respond to calls, and said in a follow-up tweet it was “here with the Minneapolis Fire Department” to assist. But no move was made to put out the 3rd Precinct fire. Assistant Fire Chief Bryan Tyner said fire crews could not safely respond to fires at the precinct station and some surrounding buildings.Earlier Thursday, dozens of businesses across the Twin Cities boarded up their windows and doors in an effort to prevent looting, with Minneapolis-based Target announcing it was temporarily closing two dozen area stores. Minneapolis shut down nearly its entire light-rail system and all bus service through Sunday out of safety concerns.

Minneapolis police station torched amid George Floyd protest

Minneapolis, MN. (AP)—&nbsp;Murder. Brutality.&nbsp;Reprehensible. Indefensible.&nbsp;Police nationwide, in unequivocal and unprecedented language, have condemned the actions of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/Minneapolis">Minneapolis</a>&nbsp;police in the custody death of a handcuffed black man who cried for help as an officer knelt on his neck, pinning him to the pavement for at least eight minutes.

But some civil rights advocates say their denunciations are empty words without meaningful reform behind them.

Authorities say&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/766d7ec7c90d94ad38e3e1c31186fb95">George Floyd</a>&nbsp;was detained Monday because he matched the description of someone who tried to pay with a counterfeit bill at a convenience store, and the 46-year-old resisted arrest. A bystander’s disturbing video shows&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/a69682cfc7dd6f99260315b5a68fe6ec">Officer Derek Chauvin,</a>&nbsp;who is white, kneeling on Floyd’s neck, even as Floyd begs for air and slowly stops talking and moving.

Wichita Police Chief Gordon Ramsay spoke out Thursday on his twitter account.

Reno County Sheriff&nbsp;Darrian Campbell shared on Facebook,&nbsp;"My heart goes out to George Floyd's family," Campbell said. "The Reno County Sheriff's Office has a great history of hiring great people to serve within the community and providing top notch training in order to prevent this or any other type of activity which would result in a similar scenario such as this. Please do not group the great Deputies serving within our community into this bad category of Law Enforcement."

“There is no need to see more video,”&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/ChiefDavidRoddy/status/1265758198608400386?s=20" target="_blank">Chattanooga, Tennessee, Police Chief David Roddy</a>&nbsp;tweeted Wednesday. “There no need to wait to see how ‘it plays out’. There is no need to put a knee on someone’s neck for NINE minutes. There IS a need to DO something. If you wear a badge and you don’t have an issue with this ... turn it in.”

The reaction from some law enforcement stands in stark contrast to their muted response or support for police after other in-custody fatalities. Sheriffs and police chiefs have strongly criticized the Minneapolis officer on social media and praised the city’s police chief for his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/9157e1bdc0f99797bcdc25e6f243aa19">quick dismissal of four officers at the scene.</a>&nbsp;Some even called for them to be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/5300d052a24cc050aabe9b370f865e56">criminally charged.</a>

“I am deeply disturbed by the video of Mr. Floyd being murdered in the street with other officers there letting it go on,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/PolkCountySheriffsOffice/posts/3222882427755943" target="_blank">Polk County, Georgia, Sheriff Johnny Moats</a>&nbsp;wrote on Facebook. “I can assure everyone, me or any of my deputies will never treat anyone like that as long as I’m Sheriff. This kind of brutality is terrible and it needs to stop. All Officers involved need to be arrested and charged immediately. Praying for the family.”

Typically, police call for patience and calm in the wake of a use of force. They are reluctant to weigh in on episodes involving another agency, often citing ongoing investigations or due process.

“Not going hide behind ‘not being there,’” tweeted&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/sjpdchief/status/1265640163293589504?s=20" target="_blank">San Jose Police, California, Chief Eddie Garcia</a>. ”I’d be one of the first to condemn anyone had I seen similar happen to one of my brother/ sister officers. What I saw happen to George Floyd disturbed me and is not consistent with the goal of our mission. The act of one, impacts us all.”

But Gloria Browne-Marshall, a civil rights attorney and professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, said she wouldn’t be a “cheerleader” for a “handful” of chiefs who harshly decried the officers’ behavior.

“Any minute progress is seen as miraculous because so little has been done for so long,” she said. “It’s nothing close to progress or what outrage would be taking place if it was a white man as the victim of this assault.”

Melina Abdullah, co-founder of Black Lives Matter in Los Angeles, said she wasn’t “particularly moved” by the relatively few police who voiced outrage.

Abdullah said the three other officers who witnessed Chauvin’s actions and did not intervene contributed to a long-standing system of police racism and oppression against people of color.

“We’ve got to remember that it was not just Officer Chauvin who was sitting on George Floyd’s neck,” she said.

Abdullah and hundreds of others&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/de01149ed0828750e2a41d7c2872a1aa">protested&nbsp;</a>what she called Floyd’s lynching on Wednesday night. Some blocked lanes of a freeway and shattered windows of California Highway Patrol cruisers.

<a href="https://apnews.com/7013997bc5633f3113d65901ddb7e85e">Minneapolis</a>&nbsp;is bracing for more violence after days of civil unrest, with burned buildings, looted stores and angry graffiti demanding justice. The governor on Thursday called in the National Guard. On Thursday night,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/e27cfce9464809aa8c91afd74c930bb5">protesters torched a Minneapolis police station</a>&nbsp;that the department was forced to abandon.

The heads of the&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/LAPDChiefMoore/status/1265810201770250240?s=20" target="_blank">Los Angeles</a>&nbsp;and Chicago departments — both of which have been rocked before by police brutality scandals — addressed Floyd’s death and its potential effect on race relations between law enforcement and communities of color.

Even the New York Police Department weighed in. Eric Garner died in the city in 2014 after he was placed in a chokehold by police and uttered the same words Floyd did: “I can’t breathe.”

It took city officials five years to fire the officer, and no criminal or federal charges were brought.

“What we saw in Minnesota was deeply disturbing. It was wrong,”&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/NYPDShea/status/1266077337986138113?s=20" target="_blank">NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea</a>&nbsp;wrote Thursday. “We must take a stand and address it. We must come together, condemn these actions and reinforce who we are as members of the NYPD. This is not acceptable ANYWHERE.”

Before he was commissioner, Shea spearheaded the NYPD’s shift to community policing that moved away from a more confrontational style favored by other commissioners after Garner’s death.

<a href="https://twitter.com/SheriffEd_HCSO/status/1265834794841235457?s=20" target="_blank">Harris County, Texas, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez</a>, who also spoke out online, told The Associated Press that law enforcement agencies keep promising reforms in the wake of fatalities, but they are “not delivering it on a consistent basis.”

“When bad things happen in our profession, we need to be able to call it like it is,” he said. “We keep thinking that the last one will be the last one, and then another one surfaces.”

Minneapolis, MN. (AP)—&nbsp;Murder. Brutality.&nbsp;Reprehensible. Indefensible.&nbsp;Police nationwide, in unequivocal and unprecedented language, have condemned the actions of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/Minneapolis">Minneapolis</a>&nbsp;police in the custody death of a handcuffed black man who cried for help as an officer knelt on his neck, pinning him to the pavement for at least eight minutes.But some civil rights advocates say their denunciations are empty words without meaningful reform behind them.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1590753741227.png" alt="Fires burning in downtown Minneapolis as shown from I-94&nbsp; Minnesota Dept. of Transportation camera just before 7a.m. CDT Friday" />
 <figcaption>Fires burning in downtown Minneapolis as shown from I-94&nbsp; Minnesota Dept. of Transportation camera just before 7a.m. CDT Friday</figcaption>
 </figure>Authorities say&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/766d7ec7c90d94ad38e3e1c31186fb95">George Floyd</a>&nbsp;was detained Monday because he matched the description of someone who tried to pay with a counterfeit bill at a convenience store, and the 46-year-old resisted arrest. A bystander’s disturbing video shows&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/a69682cfc7dd6f99260315b5a68fe6ec">Officer Derek Chauvin,</a>&nbsp;who is white, kneeling on Floyd’s neck, even as Floyd begs for air and slowly stops talking and moving.Wichita Police Chief Gordon Ramsay spoke out Thursday on his twitter account.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I am horrified at what occurred in Minneapolis and struggle for words, but in good conscience cannot remain silent. I get a lump in my throat when I try to talk about it, but in that video I see a murder committed by those who are violating the very oath they swore to uphold.&mdash; Police Chief G. Ramsay (@chieframsay) <a href="https://twitter.com/chieframsay/status/1266034140480262147?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 28, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Reno County Sheriff&nbsp;Darrian Campbell shared on Facebook,&nbsp;"My heart goes out to George Floyd's family," Campbell said. "The Reno County Sheriff's Office has a great history of hiring great people to serve within the community and providing top notch training in order to prevent this or any other type of activity which would result in a similar scenario such as this. Please do not group the great Deputies serving within our community into this bad category of Law Enforcement."“There is no need to see more video,”&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/ChiefDavidRoddy/status/1265758198608400386?s=20" target="_blank">Chattanooga, Tennessee, Police Chief David Roddy</a>&nbsp;tweeted Wednesday. “There no need to wait to see how ‘it plays out’. There is no need to put a knee on someone’s neck for NINE minutes. There IS a need to DO something. If you wear a badge and you don’t have an issue with this ... turn it in.”The reaction from some law enforcement stands in stark contrast to their muted response or support for police after other in-custody fatalities. Sheriffs and police chiefs have strongly criticized the Minneapolis officer on social media and praised the city’s police chief for his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/9157e1bdc0f99797bcdc25e6f243aa19">quick dismissal of four officers at the scene.</a>&nbsp;Some even called for them to be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/5300d052a24cc050aabe9b370f865e56">criminally charged.</a>“I am deeply disturbed by the video of Mr. Floyd being murdered in the street with other officers there letting it go on,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/PolkCountySheriffsOffice/posts/3222882427755943" target="_blank">Polk County, Georgia, Sheriff Johnny Moats</a>&nbsp;wrote on Facebook. “I can assure everyone, me or any of my deputies will never treat anyone like that as long as I’m Sheriff. This kind of brutality is terrible and it needs to stop. All Officers involved need to be arrested and charged immediately. Praying for the family.”Typically, police call for patience and calm in the wake of a use of force. They are reluctant to weigh in on episodes involving another agency, often citing ongoing investigations or due process.“Not going hide behind ‘not being there,’” tweeted&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/sjpdchief/status/1265640163293589504?s=20" target="_blank">San Jose Police, California, Chief Eddie Garcia</a>. ”I’d be one of the first to condemn anyone had I seen similar happen to one of my brother/ sister officers. What I saw happen to George Floyd disturbed me and is not consistent with the goal of our mission. The act of one, impacts us all.”But Gloria Browne-Marshall, a civil rights attorney and professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, said she wouldn’t be a “cheerleader” for a “handful” of chiefs who harshly decried the officers’ behavior.“Any minute progress is seen as miraculous because so little has been done for so long,” she said. “It’s nothing close to progress or what outrage would be taking place if it was a white man as the victim of this assault.”Melina Abdullah, co-founder of Black Lives Matter in Los Angeles, said she wasn’t “particularly moved” by the relatively few police who voiced outrage.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1590749921032.png" alt="Protests escalated Thursday evening in downtown Minneapolis photo courtesy WCCO TV" />
 <figcaption>Protests escalated Thursday evening in downtown Minneapolis photo courtesy WCCO TV</figcaption>
 </figure>Abdullah said the three other officers who witnessed Chauvin’s actions and did not intervene contributed to a long-standing system of police racism and oppression against people of color.“We’ve got to remember that it was not just Officer Chauvin who was sitting on George Floyd’s neck,” she said.Abdullah and hundreds of others&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/de01149ed0828750e2a41d7c2872a1aa">protested&nbsp;</a>what she called Floyd’s lynching on Wednesday night. Some blocked lanes of a freeway and shattered windows of California Highway Patrol cruisers.<a href="https://apnews.com/7013997bc5633f3113d65901ddb7e85e">Minneapolis</a>&nbsp;is bracing for more violence after days of civil unrest, with burned buildings, looted stores and angry graffiti demanding justice. The governor on Thursday called in the National Guard. On Thursday night,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/e27cfce9464809aa8c91afd74c930bb5">protesters torched a Minneapolis police station</a>&nbsp;that the department was forced to abandon.The heads of the&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/LAPDChiefMoore/status/1265810201770250240?s=20" target="_blank">Los Angeles</a>&nbsp;and Chicago departments — both of which have been rocked before by police brutality scandals — addressed Floyd’s death and its potential effect on race relations between law enforcement and communities of color.Even the New York Police Department weighed in. Eric Garner died in the city in 2014 after he was placed in a chokehold by police and uttered the same words Floyd did: “I can’t breathe.”It took city officials five years to fire the officer, and no criminal or federal charges were brought.“What we saw in Minnesota was deeply disturbing. It was wrong,”&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/NYPDShea/status/1266077337986138113?s=20" target="_blank">NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea</a>&nbsp;wrote Thursday. “We must take a stand and address it. We must come together, condemn these actions and reinforce who we are as members of the NYPD. This is not acceptable ANYWHERE.”Before he was commissioner, Shea spearheaded the NYPD’s shift to community policing that moved away from a more confrontational style favored by other commissioners after Garner’s death.<a href="https://twitter.com/SheriffEd_HCSO/status/1265834794841235457?s=20" target="_blank">Harris County, Texas, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez</a>, who also spoke out online, told The Associated Press that law enforcement agencies keep promising reforms in the wake of fatalities, but they are “not delivering it on a consistent basis.”“When bad things happen in our profession, we need to be able to call it like it is,” he said. “We keep thinking that the last one will be the last one, and then another one surfaces.”

Police in Kan., across US speak out against Minneapolis custody death

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — At least 44 meatpacking workers in the U.S. have died from the new coronavirus and another 3,000 have tested positive, according to an estimate released Thursday by the largest union representing workers.

Meat processing plants have become hot spots for infections in communities across the country, but most have stayed open since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/67cb4bad7ffe500beabdf8e7e7efea5d">President Donald Trump’s executive order</a>&nbsp;a month ago declaring them critical infrastructure. The United Food and Commercial Workers union said 30 meatpacking plants have closed at some point since March, resulting in an estimated 40% reduction in pork production and a 25% reduction in beef.

The actual number of employees with the coronavirus is likely higher than the estimate, said Mark Lauritsen, director of the food processing and meatpacking division for the United Food and Commercial Workers International. The union compiled the figures from local union members who either received data from the meatpacking plant or verified infections with employees.

In some places, the number of infections is hard to come by because they are not released by state officials, Lauritsen said. He pointed to Gov. Pete Rickett’s decision not to report the number of infected workers at meat processing plants in Nebraska.

As plants reopen and scale up production, many have installed physical barriers between workstations and put up hand-sanitizing stations, following guidelines from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But most of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/aa3cced1b5c5c40a4bc09db805393d80">guidelines meant to keep workers safe are unenforceable</a>.

The union called for more safety measures, saying Trump’s order didn’t solve the problem.

“You want to save the food supply chain, you have to make those workers safe,” Lauritsen said. “Then they’ll do their job.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589997636847.png" alt="Meat plant workers photo courtesy Tyson Foods" />
 <figcaption>Meat plant workers photo courtesy Tyson Foods</figcaption>
 </figure>SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — At least 44 meatpacking workers in the U.S. have died from the new coronavirus and another 3,000 have tested positive, according to an estimate released Thursday by the largest union representing workers.Meat processing plants have become hot spots for infections in communities across the country, but most have stayed open since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/67cb4bad7ffe500beabdf8e7e7efea5d">President Donald Trump’s executive order</a>&nbsp;a month ago declaring them critical infrastructure. The United Food and Commercial Workers union said 30 meatpacking plants have closed at some point since March, resulting in an estimated 40% reduction in pork production and a 25% reduction in beef.The actual number of employees with the coronavirus is likely higher than the estimate, said Mark Lauritsen, director of the food processing and meatpacking division for the United Food and Commercial Workers International. The union compiled the figures from local union members who either received data from the meatpacking plant or verified infections with employees.In some places, the number of infections is hard to come by because they are not released by state officials, Lauritsen said. He pointed to Gov. Pete Rickett’s decision not to report the number of infected workers at meat processing plants in Nebraska.As plants reopen and scale up production, many have installed physical barriers between workstations and put up hand-sanitizing stations, following guidelines from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But most of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/aa3cced1b5c5c40a4bc09db805393d80">guidelines meant to keep workers safe are unenforceable</a>.The union called for more safety measures, saying Trump’s order didn’t solve the problem.“You want to save the food supply chain, you have to make those workers safe,” Lauritsen said. “Then they’ll do their job.”

Meatpacking union: 44 COVID-19 deaths among workers

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump escalated his war on social media companies, signing an executive order Thursday challenging the liability protections that have served as a bedrock for unfettered speech on the internet.

Still, the move appears to be more about politics than substance, as the president aims to rally supporters after he lashed out at Twitter for applying fact checks to two of his tweets.

Trump said the fact checks were “editorial decisions” by Twitter and amounted to political activism. He said it should cost those companies their protection from lawsuits for what is posted on their platforms.

Trump and his allies, who rely heavily on Twitter to verbally flog their foes, have long accused the tech giants in liberal-leaning Silicon Valley of targeting conservatives on social media by fact-checking them or removing their posts.

“We’re fed up with it,” Trump said, claiming the order would uphold freedom of speech.

It directs executive branch agencies to ask independent rule-making agencies including the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Trade Commission to study whether they can place new regulations on the companies — though experts express doubts much can be done without an act of Congress.

Companies like Twitter and Facebook are granted liability protection under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act because they are treated as “platforms,” rather than “publishers,” which can face lawsuits over content.

A similar executive order was previously considered by the administration but shelved over concerns it couldn’t pass legal muster and that it violated conservative principles on deregulation and free speech.

Two administration officials outlined the draft order on the condition of anonymity because it was still being finalized Thursday morning. But a draft was circulating on Twitter — where else?

“This will be a Big Day for Social Media and FAIRNESS!” Trump tweeted.

Press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said the Twitter fact checks reflected “bias in action” and Trump aimed to sign the order by the end of the day.

Trump and his campaign reacted after Twitter added a warning phrase to two Trump tweets that called mail-in ballots “fraudulent” and predicted “mail boxes will be robbed.” Under the tweets, there’s now a link reading “Get the facts about mail-in ballots” that guides users to a page with fact checks and news stories about Trump’s unsubstantiated claims.

Trump accused Twitter of interfering in the 2020 presidential election” and declared “as president, I will not allow this to happen.” His campaign manager, Brad Parscale, said Twitter’s “clear political bias” had led the campaign to pull “all our advertising from Twitter months ago.” In fact, Twitter has banned political advertising since last November.

Late Wednesday, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey tweeted, “We’ll continue to point out incorrect or disputed information about elections globally.”

Dorsey added: “This does not make us an ‘arbiter of truth.’ Our intention is to connect the dots of conflicting statements and show the information in dispute so people can judge for themselves.”

On the other hand, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg told Fox News his platform has “a different policy, I think, than Twitter on this.”

“I just believe strongly that Facebook shouldn’t be the arbiter of truth of everything that people say online,” he said.

The president’s critics, meanwhile, scolded the platforms for allowing him to put forth false or misleading information that could confuse voters.

“Donald Trump’s order is plainly illegal,” said Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden, a Democrat and advocate for internet freedoms. He is “desperately trying to steal for himself the power of the courts and Congress. … All for the ability to spread unfiltered lies.”

Trump’s proposal has multiple, serious legal problems and is unlikely to survive a challenge, according to Matt Schruers, president of the Computer and Communications Industry Association, a Washington-based organization that represents computer and internet companies.

It would also seem to be an assault on the same online freedom that enabled social media platforms to flourish in the first place — and made them such an effective microphone for Trump and other politicians.

“The irony that is lost here is that if these protections were to go away social media services would be far more aggressive in moderating content and terminating accounts,” Schruers said. “Our vibrant public sphere of discussion would devolve into nothing more than preapproved soundbites.”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said it was “outrageous” that while Twitter had put a fact-check tag on Trump’s tweets asserting massive mail-in election fraud, it had not removed his tweets suggesting without evidence that a TV news host had murdered an aide years ago.

“Their business model is to make money at the expense of the truth and the facts that they know,” she said of social media giants, also mentioning Facebook. She said their goal is to avoid taxes “and they don’t want to be regulated, so they pander to the White House.”

The order was also expected to try to hold back federal advertising dollars from Twitter and other social media companies that “violate free speech principles.”

The president and fellow conservatives have been claiming, for years, that Silicon Valley tech companies are biased against them. But there is no evidence for this — and while the executives and many employees of Twitter, Facebook and Google may lean liberal, the companies have stressed they have no business interest in favoring on political party over the other.

The trouble began in 2016, two years after Facebook launched a section called “trending,” using human editors to curate popular news stories. Facebook was accused of bias against conservatives based on the words of an anonymous former contractor who said the company downplayed conservative issues in that feature and promoted liberal causes.

Zuckerberg met with prominent right-wing leaders at the time in an attempt at damage control, and in 2018, Facebook shut down the “trending” section,.

In August 2018, Trump accused Google of biased searches and warned the company to “be careful.” Google pushed back sharply, saying Trump’s claim simply wasn’t so: “We never rank search results to manipulate political sentiment.”

Experts, meanwhile, suggested that Trump’s comments showed a misunderstanding of how search engines work.

Last year, Trump again blasted social media companies after Facebook banned a slew of extremist figures including conspiracy peddler Alex Jones from its site and from Instagram.

Meanwhile, the companies are gearing up to combat misinformation around the November elections. Twitter and Facebook have begun rolling out dozens of new rules to avoid a repeat of the false postings about the candidates and the voting process that marred the 2016 election.

The coronavirus pandemic has further escalated the platforms’ response, leading them to take actions against politicians — a move they’ve long resisted — who make misleading claims about the virus.

Last month, Twitter began a “Get the Facts” label to direct social media users to news articles from trusted outlets next to tweets containing misleading or disputed information about the virus. Company leaders said the new labels could be applied to anyone on Twitter and they were considering using them on other topics.

The Democratic National Committee said Trump’s vote-by-mail tweets should have been removed, not just flagged, for violating the company’s rules on posting false voting information.

“After taking too long to act, Twitter once again came up short out of fear of upsetting Trump,” the party said in a statement.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1590699028016.png" alt="President Trump in the Oval Office before signing an executive order aimed at curbing protections for social media giants- Image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>President Trump in the Oval Office before signing an executive order aimed at curbing protections for social media giants- Image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump escalated his war on social media companies, signing an executive order Thursday challenging the liability protections that have served as a bedrock for unfettered speech on the internet.Still, the move appears to be more about politics than substance, as the president aims to rally supporters after he lashed out at Twitter for applying fact checks to two of his tweets.Trump said the fact checks were “editorial decisions” by Twitter and amounted to political activism. He said it should cost those companies their protection from lawsuits for what is posted on their platforms.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> just took executive action to fight online censorship by tech corporations, including social media platforms. <a href="https://t.co/W4r7vLw958">pic.twitter.com/W4r7vLw958</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1266104188112601089?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 28, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Trump and his allies, who rely heavily on Twitter to verbally flog their foes, have long accused the tech giants in liberal-leaning Silicon Valley of targeting conservatives on social media by fact-checking them or removing their posts.“We’re fed up with it,” Trump said, claiming the order would uphold freedom of speech.It directs executive branch agencies to ask independent rule-making agencies including the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Trade Commission to study whether they can place new regulations on the companies — though experts express doubts much can be done without an act of Congress.Companies like Twitter and Facebook are granted liability protection under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act because they are treated as “platforms,” rather than “publishers,” which can face lawsuits over content.A similar executive order was previously considered by the administration but shelved over concerns it couldn’t pass legal muster and that it violated conservative principles on deregulation and free speech.Two administration officials outlined the draft order on the condition of anonymity because it was still being finalized Thursday morning. But a draft was circulating on Twitter — where else?“This will be a Big Day for Social Media and FAIRNESS!” Trump tweeted.Press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said the Twitter fact checks reflected “bias in action” and Trump aimed to sign the order by the end of the day.Trump and his campaign reacted after Twitter added a warning phrase to two Trump tweets that called mail-in ballots “fraudulent” and predicted “mail boxes will be robbed.” Under the tweets, there’s now a link reading “Get the facts about mail-in ballots” that guides users to a page with fact checks and news stories about Trump’s unsubstantiated claims.Trump accused Twitter of interfering in the 2020 presidential election” and declared “as president, I will not allow this to happen.” His campaign manager, Brad Parscale, said Twitter’s “clear political bias” had led the campaign to pull “all our advertising from Twitter months ago.” In fact, Twitter has banned political advertising since last November.Late Wednesday, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey tweeted, “We’ll continue to point out incorrect or disputed information about elections globally.”Dorsey added: “This does not make us an ‘arbiter of truth.’ Our intention is to connect the dots of conflicting statements and show the information in dispute so people can judge for themselves.”On the other hand, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg told Fox News his platform has “a different policy, I think, than Twitter on this.”“I just believe strongly that Facebook shouldn’t be the arbiter of truth of everything that people say online,” he said.The president’s critics, meanwhile, scolded the platforms for allowing him to put forth false or misleading information that could confuse voters.“Donald Trump’s order is plainly illegal,” said Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden, a Democrat and advocate for internet freedoms. He is “desperately trying to steal for himself the power of the courts and Congress. … All for the ability to spread unfiltered lies.”Trump’s proposal has multiple, serious legal problems and is unlikely to survive a challenge, according to Matt Schruers, president of the Computer and Communications Industry Association, a Washington-based organization that represents computer and internet companies.It would also seem to be an assault on the same online freedom that enabled social media platforms to flourish in the first place — and made them such an effective microphone for Trump and other politicians.“The irony that is lost here is that if these protections were to go away social media services would be far more aggressive in moderating content and terminating accounts,” Schruers said. “Our vibrant public sphere of discussion would devolve into nothing more than preapproved soundbites.”House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said it was “outrageous” that while Twitter had put a fact-check tag on Trump’s tweets asserting massive mail-in election fraud, it had not removed his tweets suggesting without evidence that a TV news host had murdered an aide years ago.“Their business model is to make money at the expense of the truth and the facts that they know,” she said of social media giants, also mentioning Facebook. She said their goal is to avoid taxes “and they don’t want to be regulated, so they pander to the White House.”The order was also expected to try to hold back federal advertising dollars from Twitter and other social media companies that “violate free speech principles.”The president and fellow conservatives have been claiming, for years, that Silicon Valley tech companies are biased against them. But there is no evidence for this — and while the executives and many employees of Twitter, Facebook and Google may lean liberal, the companies have stressed they have no business interest in favoring on political party over the other.The trouble began in 2016, two years after Facebook launched a section called “trending,” using human editors to curate popular news stories. Facebook was accused of bias against conservatives based on the words of an anonymous former contractor who said the company downplayed conservative issues in that feature and promoted liberal causes.Zuckerberg met with prominent right-wing leaders at the time in an attempt at damage control, and in 2018, Facebook shut down the “trending” section,.In August 2018, Trump accused Google of biased searches and warned the company to “be careful.” Google pushed back sharply, saying Trump’s claim simply wasn’t so: “We never rank search results to manipulate political sentiment.”Experts, meanwhile, suggested that Trump’s comments showed a misunderstanding of how search engines work.Last year, Trump again blasted social media companies after Facebook banned a slew of extremist figures including conspiracy peddler Alex Jones from its site and from Instagram.Meanwhile, the companies are gearing up to combat misinformation around the November elections. Twitter and Facebook have begun rolling out dozens of new rules to avoid a repeat of the false postings about the candidates and the voting process that marred the 2016 election.The coronavirus pandemic has further escalated the platforms’ response, leading them to take actions against politicians — a move they’ve long resisted — who make misleading claims about the virus.Last month, Twitter began a “Get the Facts” label to direct social media users to news articles from trusted outlets next to tweets containing misleading or disputed information about the virus. Company leaders said the new labels could be applied to anyone on Twitter and they were considering using them on other topics.The Democratic National Committee said Trump’s vote-by-mail tweets should have been removed, not just flagged, for violating the company’s rules on posting false voting information.“After taking too long to act, Twitter once again came up short out of fear of upsetting Trump,” the party said in a statement.

Trump signs order, escalates war on Twitter, social media protections

AP - A black man who died after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for several minutes was a former Texas high school football star who was carving out a living in his adopted state.

 George Floyd also had something in common with millions of Americans. He had lost his job because of the coronavirus pandemic. 

Floyd died Monday night in a confrontation that began after a grocery store employee called the police to report someone trying to pass a counterfeit bill. 

Floyd's friend, Christopher Harris, said Floyd had moved to Minneapolis from Houston about five years ago to find work.

AP - A black man who died after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for several minutes was a former Texas high school football star who was carving out a living in his adopted state. George Floyd also had something in common with millions of Americans. He had lost his job because of the coronavirus pandemic. Floyd died Monday night in a confrontation that began after a grocery store employee called the police to report someone trying to pass a counterfeit bill. Floyd's friend, Christopher Harris, said Floyd had moved to Minneapolis from Houston about five years ago to find work.

Victim in police encounter had started new life in Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Violent protests over the death of a black man in police custody rocked a Minneapolis neighborhood for a second straight night as angry crowds looted stores, set fires and left a path of damage that stretched for miles. 

The protests that began late Wednesday and stretched into Thursday were the most destructive yet since the death of George Floyd. 

He was seen on video gasping for breath during an arrest in which an officer kneeled on his neck for almost eight minutes.

 In the footage, George pleads that he cannot breathe before he slowly stops talking and moving.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Violent protests over the death of a black man in police custody rocked a Minneapolis neighborhood for a second straight night as angry crowds looted stores, set fires and left a path of damage that stretched for miles. The protests that began late Wednesday and stretched into Thursday were the most destructive yet since the death of George Floyd. He was seen on video gasping for breath during an arrest in which an officer kneeled on his neck for almost eight minutes. In the footage, George pleads that he cannot breathe before he slowly stops talking and moving.

Violent protests rock Minneapolis for 2nd straight night

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — A presidential task force charged with addressing an epidemic of missing and slain Native Americans has resumed listening sessions with tribes. 

The task force held a handful of sessions in person before the coronavirus hit. It's now turning to teleconferences and webinars to update tribes on its work and get feedback. 

A session Wednesday drew dozens of people but few spoke up to provide input. The task force says it will meet a November deadline to submit a report to the White House. 

The task force is reviewing cold cases in Indian Country to find ways to improve investigations and respond more quickly to reports of missing Native Americans.&nbsp;

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — A presidential task force charged with addressing an epidemic of missing and slain Native Americans has resumed listening sessions with tribes. The task force held a handful of sessions in person before the coronavirus hit. It's now turning to teleconferences and webinars to update tribes on its work and get feedback. A session Wednesday drew dozens of people but few spoke up to provide input. The task force says it will meet a November deadline to submit a report to the White House. The task force is reviewing cold cases in Indian Country to find ways to improve investigations and respond more quickly to reports of missing Native Americans.&nbsp;

Task force on missing Native Americans resumes sessions

RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) — Police say a body pulled from a Rapid City creek this week in that of a man who had been missing since last week.

 The man is identified as 41-year-old Jason Rush of Rapid City. 

Police had been searching for Rush since he was reported missing on May 19. 

 An autopsy has been done, but authorities are waiting for toxicology test results before a cause of death is determined.

 The Rapid City/Pennington County Water Rescue Team recovered Rush’s body on Tuesday.&nbsp;

RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) — Police say a body pulled from a Rapid City creek this week in that of a man who had been missing since last week. The man is identified as 41-year-old Jason Rush of Rapid City. Police had been searching for Rush since he was reported missing on May 19. An autopsy has been done, but authorities are waiting for toxicology test results before a cause of death is determined. The Rapid City/Pennington County Water Rescue Team recovered Rush’s body on Tuesday.&nbsp;

Body pulled from Rapid City creek is missing man

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Police have made an arrest in the weekend shooting death of a man in southeast Omaha.

 Police said in a news release that its homicide unit arrested 59-year-old Rickey Bradberry on Wednesday for the early Sunday shooting that killed 48-year-old Charles Rockwood. 

Police say Bradberry is being held in the Douglas County jail on suspicion of first-degree murder and weapons counts. 

Police say officers responding to a report of gunshots around 2 a.m. Sunday found a Rockwood, who had been shot outside a home. Rockwood died at the scene.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Police have made an arrest in the weekend shooting death of a man in southeast Omaha. Police said in a news release that its homicide unit arrested 59-year-old Rickey Bradberry on Wednesday for the early Sunday shooting that killed 48-year-old Charles Rockwood. Police say Bradberry is being held in the Douglas County jail on suspicion of first-degree murder and weapons counts. Police say officers responding to a report of gunshots around 2 a.m. Sunday found a Rockwood, who had been shot outside a home. Rockwood died at the scene.

Omaha police make arrest in weekend shooting death

The 36 deaths at Riverbend account for half the COVID-19-related deaths in Wyandotte Co.

By DAN MARGOLIES <a href="https://www.kcur.org/health/2020-05-27/at-least-8-lawsuits-are-now-pending-against-kansas-city-kansas-rehab-facility-over-covid-19-deaths">Kansas News Service</a>

At least eight lawsuits have now been filed against Riverbend Post-Acute Rehabilitation, the Kansas City, Kansas, nursing home <a href="https://wyandotte-county-covid-19-hub-unifiedgov.hub.arcgis.com/" target="_blank">where 132 patients and staff have tested positive for COVID-19</a> and 36 have died.

Attorneys
 representing the nursing home on Tuesday transferred all eight cases to
 federal court in Kansas City, Kansas. They had originally been filed in
 Wyandotte County District Court.

Defendants are allowed to move 
civil actions from state to federal court if there’s a basis for federal
 jurisdiction. In all eight cases, Riverbend’s attorneys invoked the 
federal Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act, a law that 
authorizes the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human 
Services to issue a declaration in response to a public health 
emergency.

Such a declaration provides immunity from liability to 
health care providers who prescribe and administer medications and other
 measures amid public health emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rachel
 Stahle, an attorney who represents families in four of the eight cases,
 said she will seek to have the cases sent back to state court.

“This happened in Wyandotte County and should be heard in Wyandotte County by Wyandotte County jurors,” she said.

Riverbend’s attorneys did not return calls seeking comment.

The
 eight wrongful-death lawsuits were filed on behalf of patients who died
 at Riverbend. In general, they allege that the nursing home was 
negligent in how it handled the spread of the coronavirus, that it 
lacked adequate staff and that it failed to notify the families of the 
outbreak.

<a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-04-23/first-lawsuit-filed-against-kansas-city-kansas-rehab-facility-over-covid-19-death" target="_blank">The first lawsuit was filed on April 28</a>
 by the wife and daughter of Okey Long, an 87-year-old retired barber 
who died on April 17. The other lawsuits were filed in the following 
days by family members of other residents who were said to have died of 
COVID-19.

The 36 deaths at Riverbend account for half the COVID-19-related deaths in Wyandotte County.

On April 26, <a href="https://riverbendkansascity.com/covid-19-update/" target="_blank">Riverbend posted a statement on its website</a> offering its condolences to the families and friends of residents who died of COVID-19.

“Given
 the novel nature of the virus and the ability of asymptomatic 
individuals to unknowingly infect others, we believe our team took 
reasonable actions with the resources and information available to us at
 the time,” the statement reads.

“Now, to second guess those on 
the front lines battling a mysterious virus who were doing what they 
could to save lives, just doesn’t feel like a path to justice,” the 
statement says. "If that is the route we choose to take, then skilled 
nursing facilities all across the country will be facing a new crisis 
that threatens the industry’s ability to minister to those in need of 
the care and services it provides.”

As of May 21, at least 7,732 
long-term care facilities in 43 states were reporting 174,381 infections
 and 35,118 deaths, or 42% of all U.S. deaths attributed to COVID-19, <a href="https://www.kff.org/health-costs/issue-brief/state-data-and-policy-actions-to-address-coronavirus/" target="_blank">according to the Kaiser Family Foundation</a>.

Riverbend
 is indirectly owned by The Ensign Group, a publicly traded company 
based in Mission Viejo, California. The company owns about 225 assisted 
living, skilled nursing and rehabilitative care facilities in 13 states.
 It acquired the Kansas City, Kansas, facility in 2016.

In 2019, The Ensign Group earned more than $110 million on revenues of more than $2 billion. <a href="https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/1125376/000112537620000076/ensg-20200331.htm" target="_blank">In its most recent quarterly filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission</a>,
 the company said it expected to receive nearly $40 million in federal 
funds under the CARES Act, the $2.2 trillion relief package passed by 
Congress to help prop up health care providers and other businesses amid
 the pandemic.

Dan Margolies is senior reporter and editor at KCUR. He can be reached by email at dan@kcur.org or on Twitter @DanMargolies.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1590675954803.png" alt="Riverbend Post-Acute Rehabilitation is indirectly owned by The Ensign Group, a California-based operator of long-term care facilities in 13 states. Julie Denesha / KCUR" />
 <figcaption>Riverbend Post-Acute Rehabilitation is indirectly owned by The Ensign Group, a California-based operator of long-term care facilities in 13 states. Julie Denesha / KCUR</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>The 36 deaths at Riverbend account for half the COVID-19-related deaths in Wyandotte Co.</h2>By DAN MARGOLIES <a href="https://www.kcur.org/health/2020-05-27/at-least-8-lawsuits-are-now-pending-against-kansas-city-kansas-rehab-facility-over-covid-19-deaths">Kansas News Service</a>At least eight lawsuits have now been filed against Riverbend Post-Acute Rehabilitation, the Kansas City, Kansas, nursing home <a href="https://wyandotte-county-covid-19-hub-unifiedgov.hub.arcgis.com/" target="_blank">where 132 patients and staff have tested positive for COVID-19</a> and 36 have died.Attorneys
 representing the nursing home on Tuesday transferred all eight cases to
 federal court in Kansas City, Kansas. They had originally been filed in
 Wyandotte County District Court.Defendants are allowed to move 
civil actions from state to federal court if there’s a basis for federal
 jurisdiction. In all eight cases, Riverbend’s attorneys invoked the 
federal Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act, a law that 
authorizes the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human 
Services to issue a declaration in response to a public health 
emergency.Such a declaration provides immunity from liability to 
health care providers who prescribe and administer medications and other
 measures amid public health emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic.Rachel
 Stahle, an attorney who represents families in four of the eight cases,
 said she will seek to have the cases sent back to state court.“This happened in Wyandotte County and should be heard in Wyandotte County by Wyandotte County jurors,” she said.Riverbend’s attorneys did not return calls seeking comment.The
 eight wrongful-death lawsuits were filed on behalf of patients who died
 at Riverbend. In general, they allege that the nursing home was 
negligent in how it handled the spread of the coronavirus, that it 
lacked adequate staff and that it failed to notify the families of the 
outbreak.<a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-04-23/first-lawsuit-filed-against-kansas-city-kansas-rehab-facility-over-covid-19-death" target="_blank">The first lawsuit was filed on April 28</a>
 by the wife and daughter of Okey Long, an 87-year-old retired barber 
who died on April 17. The other lawsuits were filed in the following 
days by family members of other residents who were said to have died of 
COVID-19.The 36 deaths at Riverbend account for half the COVID-19-related deaths in Wyandotte County.On April 26, <a href="https://riverbendkansascity.com/covid-19-update/" target="_blank">Riverbend posted a statement on its website</a> offering its condolences to the families and friends of residents who died of COVID-19.“Given
 the novel nature of the virus and the ability of asymptomatic 
individuals to unknowingly infect others, we believe our team took 
reasonable actions with the resources and information available to us at
 the time,” the statement reads.“Now, to second guess those on 
the front lines battling a mysterious virus who were doing what they 
could to save lives, just doesn’t feel like a path to justice,” the 
statement says. "If that is the route we choose to take, then skilled 
nursing facilities all across the country will be facing a new crisis 
that threatens the industry’s ability to minister to those in need of 
the care and services it provides.”As of May 21, at least 7,732 
long-term care facilities in 43 states were reporting 174,381 infections
 and 35,118 deaths, or 42% of all U.S. deaths attributed to COVID-19, <a href="https://www.kff.org/health-costs/issue-brief/state-data-and-policy-actions-to-address-coronavirus/" target="_blank">according to the Kaiser Family Foundation</a>.Riverbend
 is indirectly owned by The Ensign Group, a publicly traded company 
based in Mission Viejo, California. The company owns about 225 assisted 
living, skilled nursing and rehabilitative care facilities in 13 states.
 It acquired the Kansas City, Kansas, facility in 2016.In 2019, The Ensign Group earned more than $110 million on revenues of more than $2 billion. <a href="https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/1125376/000112537620000076/ensg-20200331.htm" target="_blank">In its most recent quarterly filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission</a>,
 the company said it expected to receive nearly $40 million in federal 
funds under the CARES Act, the $2.2 trillion relief package passed by 
Congress to help prop up health care providers and other businesses amid
 the pandemic.Dan Margolies is senior reporter and editor at KCUR. He can be reached by email at dan@kcur.org or on Twitter @DanMargolies.&nbsp;