(CNN) Good news if you're struggling with your rent or mortgage during the coronavirus crisis: Federal eviction and foreclosure moratoriums are being extended for two more months.
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The ex-Atlanta police officer who shot Rayshard Brooks last weekend has been charged with felony murder. Garrett Rolfe now faces 11 charges, some that stem from his alleged conduct after shooting the black man twice in the back during a confrontation outside a Wendy's. The Fulton County district attorney said Rolfe kicked Brooks after shooting him and failed to give timely first aid. The other officer at the scene is charged with aggravated assault for allegedly standing on Brooks as he lay in the parking lot. The announcement sent ripples of tension through the city. Hours after the charges were announced, the Atlanta Police Department said an unusual number of officers called out sick from the late shift. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said the city was still safely covered, and she hopes officers honor their commitment to protect and serve.
Beyond Atlanta, jurisdictions are pushing ahead with police reform. In Los Angeles, City Council members are angling to replace some LAPD officers with unarmed responders -- and the city's police union supports the move. Those responders could include medical professionals, mental health workers and homeless outreach workers. In Washington, Democrats are moving forward with their policing reform package, setting up a full House vote for next week. Meanwhile, Confederate monuments and other historically fraught symbols are coming down across the country, and brands are reading the room. Quaker Oats is retiring the more than 130-year-old Aunt Jemima brand and logo, acknowledging its origins are based on a racial stereotype. Uncle Ben's and Mrs. Butterworth's are following suit.
In the rush to find a coronavirus vaccine, some health experts are worried that the White House's Operation Warp Speed is missing out on tried and true technologies that have over and over again resulted in successful vaccines. Instead of funding common vaccine methods used against diseases like hepatitis, flu, polio and rabies, the administration is investing as much as $2 billion in newer approaches that are promising but largely have not resulted in approved vaccines. President Trump on TV yesterday downplayed US outbreaks and said the virus is "dying out," despite rising case numbers in many states. Back on the research front, a UK study found people with Type A blood have a higher risk of catching the coronavirus and of developing severe symptoms, while people with Type O blood have a lower risk.
The Trump administration is revving up its dispute over the forthcoming book by former national security advisor John Bolton. Now, President Trump is saying he wants courts to stop its release because it could reveal government secrets. CNN and several other news outlets got early copies of the book, and among his allegations, Bolton says the President asked Chinese President Xi Jinping for help in winning reelection and at times casually offered to intervene in the criminal justice system for foreign leaders. According to Bolton, Trump claimed Venezuela was essentially part of the US to justify military action there, and he once asked if Finland was part of Russia. Bolton also said the President's own senior officials, perhaps including a famously loyal Mike Pompeo, mocked him behind his back.
Syria is bracing for even more economic devastation as the US State and Treasury departments roll out new sanctions against President Bashar al-Assad. The economic penalties are part of the newly enforced Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, which is expected to trigger the most wide-reaching and aggressive economic penalties ever imposed on the country. They're designed to starve al-Assad's regime of funds and bring him back to the global negotiating table to facilitate an end to the brutal, yearslong civil war. However, the sanctions could deal a crushing blow to Syrian civilians, who already deal with widespread poverty and are highly reliant on outside aid.
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Sir Isaac Newton once suggested curing the plague with lozenges made from toad vomit
The next time you have an idea and you worry that it's bad ... just remember this.
$120 million
That's how much Netflix CEO Reed Hastings is donating to historically black colleges, calling it an "investment in America's future." Hastings and his wife Patty Quillin called on others to support such institutions to help "reverse generations of inequity in our country."
"For Mark Zuckerberg to say he's sad because he's making billions of dollars over lies being spread off of hate groups germinating on Zuckerberg's website ... it is so disingenuous."
Joe Scarborough, who said during a seven-minute on-air rant that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is a danger to democracy because he, according to Scarborough, willingly allows extremism to flourish on his site. Zuckerberg previously said he was "disgusted" by President Trump's comments on nationwide anti-racism protests.
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A hummingbird pool party
Just a few moments of relaxation, courtesy some very tiny birds. (Click here to view.)