Nationwide protests seeking reform and accountability by taxpayer funded police departments—and justice for the unarmed African-American men and women sometimes killed by them—accentuate the grim realities of life in the U.S. Black Americans lag other groups by almost every economic measure. Black households earn about two-thirds of what white households earn. In addition to a lack of buying parity, the gap also means African-Americans have less money to help shield against illnesses and recover from disasters. Many of the historic and financial inequities have set the stage for the coronavirus, which is killing blacks at a rate 2.4 times that of whites. —Josh Petri

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Here are today’s top stories

Presumptive Democratic Party nominee Joe Biden excoriated President Donald Trump for ordering the police and National Guard to attack American citizens protesting peacefully outside the White House Monday. Trump is fanning “the flames of hate,” the former vice president said, calling on Congress to immediately address systemic racism and police brutality. For the past 24 hours, Trump has come under withering criticism from almost all sides after he and Attorney General William Barr ordered armed forces and security agents to turn non-lethal weapons on demonstrators before a Washington curfew had even begun.

Democrats warned Trump’s threat to send active duty troops to counter largely peaceful protests across the country was a dangerous moment for democracy. Trump’s warning that he may militarize American cities has pushed Barr into a central and visible role as his strategist.

The Pentagon and even a few of Trump's fellow Republicans expressed disapproval of the White House-ordered move against protesters, in which stun grenades, tear gas and rubber bullets were used to clear a path for Trump to pose in front of a nearby church, the first of two religious photo shoots in as many days.

New York City is reopening after months of a coronavirus lockdown in just a few days. Businesses were prepared for a marathon slog back to normal. Now, after days of largely peaceful protests and nights of scattered rioting, many are crawling just to reach the starting line. The New York City Police Department was “not effective at doing their jobs” Monday night, Governor Andrew Cuomo said, after a night of looting in midtown Manhattan. The city has extended its curfew through Sunday. Here’s the latest.

Cuomo has also expressed concern that protests could accelerate the spread of the coronavirus and undo weeks of social-distancing efforts. Cases rose 1.2% in the U.S. compared with Monday. There have now been 1.82 million cases in the U.S., and 105,644 deaths. Here’s the latest on the pandemic.

Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg hosted a video call with U.S. civil rights leaders to discuss the emabattled company’s reluctance to rein in hate speech. But participants were left disappointed, saying the CEO doesn’t fully grasp the issues.

The Chinese government has begun a pilot program for an official digital version of its currency. Some observers think the virtual yuan could bolster the government’s power over the country’s financial system and one day maybe even shift the global balance of economic influence.

What you’ll need to know tomorrow

• U.S. stocks rose for the third straight day.
• Raytheon bosses got a windfall. Employees got pay cuts.
• Instagram was flooded with black squares to support protesters.
• Gun stocks rallied after background checks surged 75% in May.
• This won’t be U.S. solar’s best year ever—but it’ll be close.
• One of the world’s most coveted gold coins could go for $15 million.
• Bloomberg Opinion: Trump's re-election chances are dwindling.

What you’ll want to read tonight in Bloomberg Green

Australia’s Most Important Rivers Are Vanishing

The Murray-Darling Basin is supposed to be Australia’s agricultural heartland. Three million people drink from the system every day, and locals like to boast that another 40 million rely on it for food—Australia’s population of 25 million plus many more across Asia. Today the Murray-Darling is approaching a historic shift driven by climate change, one that threatens to change everything down under, and beyond.

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