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What an incredibly sad week for America. While the destruction and violence threaten to further divide us, let's bear in mind that 89% of Americans agree that the charges against former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin are appropriate, or that he should have been charged with an even more serious crime. It’s not easy, but if you can, look beyond the vandalism and looting. Look at Americans peacefully exercising their Constitutional right to protest. Look at neighbors joining together to clean up their communities. Look at police officers marching in unity with those they serve. Because those things happened this weekend too, and that’s the America we must fight to save. —Mindy Finn
Top Ten

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1. Trump to govs: You 'look like fools' Peaceful protests gave way to mass vandalism and looting—often by outside agitators with personal political agendas. Curfews were implemented in major cities nationwide, as local law enforcement struggled to maintain control. U.S. military police stood at the ready to intervene, and the president, ever tweeting, was shuttled to a bunker. It was not America's best weekend, to say the least. After days of unrest in dozens of U.S. cities following the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers last week, President Trump slammed the nation's governors today for not being tough enough. "Most of you are weak," Trump said on a video teleconference. "You have to arrest people." Pretty strong words from someone who hid away in a bunker. —Associated Press ([link removed])
* — He's "Twitter tough." Yesterday, Trump tweeted that the U.S. will designate Antifa as a terrorist organization, even though the U.S. government has no existing legal authority to label a domestic group as such. —CNN ([link removed])
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* — Lawmakers beg him to tone it down. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms was one of many leaders who urged Trump to tone down his rhetoric regarding the protests. "He speaks and makes it worse," she said. —The Hill ([link removed])

* — A mixed reaction from the administration. Though National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien said yesterday that he doesn't believe there is systemic racism within police agencies, Attorney General Bill Barr announced a federal civil rights investigation into Floyd's death, pledging that justice will be served. —Politico ([link removed])
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* — Journalists feel the heat. During the protests, law enforcement officials were captured during live news coverage harming journalists, with some reporters and crews being shot with rubber bullets, targeted with stun grenades, tear-gassed, physically attacked, pepper-sprayed, and arrested. —Bellingcat ([link removed])

* — Protests go global. Crowds gathered in London, Berlin, and Toronto to protest in solidarity, with demonstrators holding signs saying "I can't breathe" and "Black Lives Matter." —The Washington Post ([link removed])
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* — What about corona? The large number of crowds gathering for weekend protests has physicians and public health experts worried about a coming surge in COVID-19 cases. They urged demonstrators to wear masks and maintain social distancing while exercising their rights. —The New York Times ([link removed])

More: A city-by-city look at where things stand amid days of unrest (The Wall Street Journal) ([link removed])

2. DN Ed Board: It's up to all of us "More than a political polarization problem, America faces the consuming challenge of contempt—the belief in the utter worthlessness of another individual. When Americans plant contempt, they reap the justification to treat others inhumanely. What is the cure? Stop the shoulder shrugging. Bury the 'it's not my problem' attitude. It is time for citizens to square their shoulders and play a vital role in freedom's history. It's in times like these the country quotes words of giants like Abraham Lincoln and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. But America really needs to stop talking about them and start acting like them." —Deseret News ([link removed])

More: 'American carnage' is here. Now what? (Deutsche Welle) ([link removed])

3. All roads still lead to Putin ([link removed])

President Trump has officially postponed the G7 summit as the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage. Trump seeks to hold the summit in September and also invite several other countries, including Russia, to join. ([link removed])
* — As host, Trump has the authority to invite whomever he would like to the summit as a guest. G7 members would have to approve Russia formally rejoining the group, and all indications suggest that the other nations firmly oppose Russia officially rejoining. —The New York Times ([link removed])
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* — Reports indicate that Trump discussed bringing Russia to the next G7 summit directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin during a phone call. It is unclear if a formal invitation was made. The pair also talked about the global oil market and the SpaceX launch. —Reuters ([link removed])
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* — ([link removed]) The UK is expected to veto any attempt by Trump to include Russia. Prime Minister Boris Johnson's spokesperson said the UK will not support Russia's return to the G7 group, "unless it ceases aggressive and destabilizing activity that threatens the safety of UK citizens and the collective security of our allies. We are yet to see evidence of changed behavior." —Politico ([link removed])

4. Chait: Michael Flynn's collusion ([link removed])

"[Former National Security Adviser Michael] Flynn's lawyers insisted his call was 'consistent with him advocating for, not against, the interests of the United States.' That depends heavily on how one defines 'the interests of the United States.' In December 2016, the United States had a strong interest in punishing and deterring hostile foreign governments that had stolen the private communications of American political figures in order to affect the outcome of the election. By January 20, the United States would have a very different interest. That context looms over the Flynn-Kislyak call. The U.S. government at the time was treating Russia's efforts to help Trump win as a hostile act. The beneficiary of those acts was not." —New York Magazine ([link removed])

More: Flynn discussed sanctions at length with Russian diplomat, transcripts show (The New York Times) ([link removed])

5. Social media wars persist After a conflicted Mark Zuckerberg spoke with President Trump on Friday—but left up the president's incendiary posts—employees of his company, Facebook, are pushing back, arguing that Twitter's more aggressive approach to Trump's rhetoric is preferable to Zuckerberg's diplomacy. "Giving a platform to incite violence and spread disinformation is unacceptable, regardless of who you are or if it's newsworthy," wrote Andrew Crow, a Facebook design manager. "I disagree with Mark's position and will work to make change happen." —Reuters ([link removed])
* — GOP split over Trump's social media EO. Conservatives have long been concerned by what they view as political bias in media, so some are cheering Trump's recent order stripping legal protections afforded to social media platforms. Other conservatives are appalled by it, viewing it as an authoritarian power grab that will lead to government censorship, an explosion of frivolous lawsuits, and a massive expansion of the regulatory state. —The Hill ([link removed])
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— Sen. Ted Cruz falls into the former category. And that's not his only beef with Twitter. He has sent a letter to the Justice Department calling for Twitter to be investigated for violating ongoing U.S. sanctions against Iran by allowing Iranian leaders to maintain accounts on its service. —Axios ([link removed])
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* — Whether the EO stands at all is up in the air. In any case, Trump's order is sure to meet with legal challenges. "This executive order misreads the law and mistakes the role of government," said Billy Easley II, of the conservative think tank Americans for Prosperity. "Censorship comes from the government trying to police speech—not private companies. People, not the tools they use, are responsible for their words and actions online." —Governing ([link removed])

More: Tufekci: Trump is doing all of this for Zuckerberg (The Atlantic) ([link removed])
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6. Chinese state media's whataboutism Frustrated by criticisms of its new security law in Hong Kong, Beijing and Chinese state media are taking a very vocal stand against what it calls "political posturing" by the U.S., which has threatened to sanction Hong Kong and Chinese officials responsible for eroding Hong Kong's autonomy. ([link removed])
* — As the U.S. considers sanctions and revoking Hong Kong's preferential status, the top Chinese Communist Party newspaper, People's Daily, slammed the U.S. for announcing actions just as protests against police brutality began picking up across the U.S. ([link removed])
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* — "With domestic crises on the rise, [the U.S.] has not forgotten to interfere in the affairs of foreign countries, as well as withdrawing from the world's largest health organization," the paper said of President Trump's plan to withdraw the U.S. from the World Health Organization. ([link removed])
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* — Xinhua, another Chinese state propaganda outlet, sees a sinister effort from the U.S. to stymie China's progress. "The United States' attempt to deter China's development by interfering in Hong Kong affairs will not succeed," the paper wrote. —CNBC ([link removed])

More: China halts some US farm imports, threatening trade deal (Bloomberg) ([link removed])

7. Schultheis: Take an election lesson from Poland "[A]lthough there is no set playbook for safe and fair elections during the coronavirus crisis, Poland's experience offers some crucial lessons for other countries navigating these questions, including the U.S.: Doing this right means planning as early as possible—and somehow finding a way to set aside political partisanship in order to come up with a plan for voting that everyone believes is fair." —CNN ([link removed])

Ed. Note: Emily Schultheis is a fellow of the Institute of Current Affairs based in Berlin.

More: These vote-by-mail lawsuits could help decide the presidential election (NBC News) ([link removed])

8. SCOTUS rejects pandemic lawsuit Late Friday, the Supreme Court narrowly decided 5-4 against a challenge to California’s limits on large church gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic, dismissing an appeal brought by a San Diego-area church that argued state rules infringed on its religious freedom. Chief Justice John Roberts sided with the court's four liberal justices, enabling the state to continue to uphold its rules for now. ([link removed])
* — Roberts wrote in his decision that "the precise question of when restrictions on particular social activities should be lifted during the pandemic is a dynamic and fact-intensive matter subject to reasonable disagreement. Our Constitution principally entrusts 'the safety and the health of the people' to the politically accountable officials of the states 'to guard and protect.'" ([link removed])
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* — Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch joined Brett Kavanaugh in his dissent, in which he wrote, "California's latest safety guidelines discriminate against places of worship and in favor of comparable secular businesses. Such discrimination violates the 1st Amendment." ([link removed])
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* — Previously, President Trump spoke out on this issue, saying he would deem churches and other houses of worship "essential" and that he would override governors if they refused to allow religious institutions to fully open. —Los Angeles Times ([link removed])

9. Martinez: Democracy itself is on the ballot ([link removed])

"Trump's attack against certain states, and the promotion of violent protesters [in Michigan] to intimidate public officers (the latter a very common practice of Chavismo in Venezuela with the Bolivarian Circles, and more recently the 'Colectivos'), came amid several statements he made about serving more than the two terms allowed by law. These events bring painful memories to American citizens, like me, who come from countries such as Venezuela, where this type of abuse of power paved the way to a corrupt and authoritarian political system." —South Florida Sun Sentinel ([link removed])

Ed. Note: Leopoldo Martinez formerly served as a congressman in Venezuela.

10. An American Story: Working together to clean up Community members in the Twin Cities have gathered together to clean up areas that were damaged during protests on Thursday night, including the Target on Lake Street, across from the Minneapolis Police Dept. Third Precinct, which was set on fire during the riots. ([link removed])
* — Pierre Paul, age 21, came in from Illinois on Saturday with a friend and decided to organize the cleanup. What began with just the two of them quickly turned into thousands of people lending a helping hand. ([link removed])
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* — "What's really important is you see people out here with hijabs, you see people out here who are wearing Black Lives Matter shirts, people who are wearing Cops Lives Matter shirts, but none of that matters because we're all coming together for one common good and that's to bring justice to what's happening to the stores and hopefully we can bring back justice to African Americans who feel that has been taken away from them, because it has been," said Paul. ([link removed])

* — Thankfully, the scene has been replicated in cities across the country, as residents gathered to clean up their communities in the wake of the weekend's destruction. Kudos to everyone showing their American spirit in an extremely difficult week. —Fox9 ([link removed])

Ed. Note: We are spotlighting ways that Americans are helping each other through the coronavirus crisis and recent unrest. Would you like to suggest an "American Story" from your local news? If so, please forward a link to the story to [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) . Thank you!
What's Your Take?

The police union is a major national issue and should be tackled head on. It should be busted the way the Teamsters were. —Philippe D., Texas

The death of Mr. Floyd in Minneapolis is terrible and beyond tragic. May he rest in peace. Sadly, there are many others like Mr. Floyd. Yet without video we'd never know anything even close to the truth. The lie that set the narrative was that he fought back when being removed from his vehicle. Flat-out BS, as proven by video. But as stated, it set the narrative to then justify whatever might transpire. Until there was video.

Imagine for a moment how many other Mr. Floyds have happened over the years where video did not exist. Imagine how many people have been sent to jail/prison because there was no video.

It may be stating the obvious, I know. Yet without video Mr. Arbery's tragic death (may he rest in peace) would also have gone by, as it had for weeks until video surfaced, and we'd have been left having to believe a lie, or many lies, in that case. These deaths are tragedies, and even with video there is no "given" as to how justice will play out. But think about all the others, thousands upon thousands of people, who had no video and died or went to jail. Based upon pure lies.

All police are not bad by any stretch. But as in all walks of life, there are some bad police. And we have all been able to now see it over the last several years with the aid of the videos. Where are our so-called leaders? And I don't mean just the tweeter-in-chief. —Bill T., Arizona

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