1. Trump Defends Supporter Charged With Murder

“He probably would have been killed.” That’s how President Donald Trump characterized the incident last week when 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse shot two anti-racism protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Rittenhouse was charged with first-degree murder, but will argue he acted in self-defense. Today Trump plans to visit Kenosha, despite pleas from Wisconsin’s governor that it will “hinder our healing,” but he won’t meet with the family of Jacob Blake, who was shot seven times in the back by police, sparking the recent protests. The key battleground state is currently swinging toward challenger Joe Biden — who said Monday that Trump is “rooting for chaos and violence.”

Sources: WSJ (sub), Politico, Reuters, CNN

2. Hong Kong Begins Mass Coronavirus Testing

More than 553,000 people signed up to be tested in a massive virus-tracking effort beginning in Hong Kong today. But it’s not without controversy: Many in the city distrust its leadership, particularly after China enacted aggressive new laws to control the formerly semiautonomous region, and some worry the free testing could include invasive measures like DNA collection. While Hong Kong’s outbreak has waned, with just nine new cases Monday, the government expects at least 5 million people to take part in the program. Without high participation, experts say it’s unlikely to be effective at tracing potential carriers. 

Sources: AP, SCMP

3. India’s Economy Sees Worst Ever Slump

The whole world’s taken a financial hit from COVID-19, but India’s economy shrank 23.9 percent last quarter, the worst of any country. By comparison, the U.S. economy shrank 9.5 percent. The recession’s expected to be the worst since India began releasing GDP numbers a quarter-century ago — and the real effects are likely even worse, as much of the nation functions in an informal economy. With India now the world’s third hardest-hit nation in COVID-19 cases (with the fastest rising infections), the economy isn’t expected to improve soon, seriously jeopardizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s plans for a $5 trillion economy within four years.

Sources: NYT, NPR

4. McDonald’s Hit With Racial Discrimination Lawsuit

Scores of Black former franchisees of the fast food giant have filed suit in federal court, saying the company treated Black partners differently, provided misleading data and steered them toward worse locations. Average annual sales of Black-run McDonald’s franchises was $700,000 below the national average, and the number of Black franchisees has decreased by about half since 1998 even as the number of global stores doubled. It’s the third major racial discrimination lawsuit against the company this year. The current suit seeks up to $5 million per plaintiff to account for lost revenue and accrued debt. 

Sources: USA Today, Reuters

5. Also Important …

Zoom’s pandemic-driven sales surge has exceeded Wall Street’s expectations. Archaeologists say they’ve found evidence that Bronze Age humans kept old human bones, turning them into keepsakes and musical instruments. And a man attempting to swim the English Channel was found alive after an eight-hour search, just a third of a mile from the shore he started on. 

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1. #ProtectBlackWomen Gains Steam

While the police shooting of Breonna Taylor hasn’t led to any criminal charges, her name’s become a rallying cry for a movement rising alongside #BlackLivesMatter. #ProtectBlackWomen calls attention to the violence and inequality that particularly affect this group, OZY reports, and asks larger movements to remember their experiences. Meanwhile, outrage erupted online when Taylor’s family’s lawyer tweeted about a draft plea deal listing Taylor as a co-defendant in her ex-boyfriend’s drug case, which many saw as trying to smear her name and justify her death. Local officials now say it was simply a draft and her name wasn’t included in the final document.

Sources: OZY, Louisville Courier-Journal, Forbes

2. Facebook Threatens to Cut Australians Off From News

They’re ready to break the news. Yesterday, Facebook threatened to simply stop allowing Australian users to share news stories should the country’s Parliament go ahead with planned legislation to make tech giants pay publishers for using their content. The multibillion-dollar company claims it’s more valuable to Australian news organizations than they are to it — and that increased exposure on social media helps content creators sell ads and subscriptions. France is considering similar legislation against Google, while the EU already has copyright rules pushing its member states to pass laws forcing tech giants to pay publishers. 

Sources: Engadget, Axios

3. US Monkey Shortage Stymies Vaccine Research

Straight to human trials, then? Last year, the U.S. got about 60 percent of its research monkeys — key to testing things like a COVID-19 vaccine — from China. But that pipeline’s been cut off during the pandemic, and increased demand has exhausted the U.S. supply. Research on monkeys, which accounts for 0.5 percent of U.S. animal testing, is controversial, but many researchers say it’s necessary before trying medicines and vaccines on humans. The country’s specialized primate containment facilities are also overstretched, leading medical authorities to consider relaxing safety rules so they don’t delay potentially vital research trials.

Sources: The Atlantic, LiveScience, New York Post

4. TV Star Niecy Nash Comes Out Via Wedding Photo

They bring out the Betts in each other. Less than a year after announcing her divorce from her husband of eight years, Nash surprised fans with an Instagram post of her wedding to singer Jessica Betts hashtagged #LoveWins. Nash had not previously publicly identified as LGBTQ. Though their relationship was not openly acknowledged until today, Betts appeared in the 2018 season two finale of Nash’s show Claws — and shared an Instagram video of herself playing music to Nash, who was wearing a wedding dress as a costume. 

Sources: USA Today, Page Six, E! Online

5. NFL Takes Over Washington Football Team Investigation

After media reports alleging harassment and exploitation from scores of former female employees, longtime team owner Dan Snyder promised an independent investigation — though he denied any accusations that personally involved him. Now the NFL says the law firm conducting the inquest will report not to Snyder, but to the league, while Snyder says he’s released current and former employees from their nondisclosure agreements. While some are calling for the NFL to suspend or remove Snyder altogether, the league said its actions will be “commensurate” with what it finds.

Sources: Washington Post, The Athletic