promoearn: Defund police? Here's what that means.

Monday, June 8

Protesters painted "Defund the police" in bright yellow letters on 16th Street near the White House.

George Floyd is remembered in Houston. Democrats unveiled a sweeping police reform bill. It's Monday's news.

Mandated social distancing restrictions may have prevented 60 million coronavirus infections. The United States is officially in a recession. And what does it mean to defund the police?

It's Alex, with the news you need to know today.

But first, that moment when you literally find buried treasure. A chest full of gold, jewelry and other valuables worth $1 million was discovered in the Rocky Mountains.

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Rethinking policing

In the wake of George Floyd's death, a persistent call to action has been made nationwide in cities small and large: Defund the police. "It is clear that our system of policing is not keeping our communities safe." These words, spoken by Minneapolis City Council President Lisa Bender, are part of a rallying cry by some activists to not just change law enforcement but reduce its funding at minimum. In a veto-proof majority Sunday , the Minneapolis City Council committed to dismantling the city's police department.

•	What does it mean to defund the police? It's simple. Take funding away from police forces across the country. Instead, proponents say, allocate that funding into social programs that benefit the community.
•	Why defund the police? Organized groups of white men known as slave patrols lay at the roots of the nation's law enforcement, historians say, helping launch centuries of violent and racist behavior toward black Americans.
•	What about crime? Detractors of the movement express concern that defunding would lead to increased crime. Proponents say the reallocated funding to address other social needs would inevitably reduce it.

Will others cities follow suit? In the protests that have erupted across the USA against police brutality after Floyd's death, law enforcement officials have been caught on video shoving, hitting and ramming their vehicles into protesters. Many mayors say the officers won't be immediately fired for attacking Americans.

•	A data analysis shows that of about 1,700 officers disciplined for using excessive force in Florida, only 1 in 10 are barred from law enforcement jobs.

Joe Biden is against defunding the police. His campaign for president said Monday that the former vice president does not believe police should be defunded but "is driven to ensure that justice is done and that we put a stop to this terrible pain." Donald Trump, the self-declared "law and order" president, used Twitter to try to tie Biden to the movement.

Congressional Democrats offer a different approach. After kneeling in silence for eight minutes and 46 seconds at a ceremony on Capitol Hill to honor Floyd, Democrats unveiled a sweeping package addressing police brutality against black Americans. "We cannot settle for anything less than transformative, structural change," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said.

And the bail for Derek Chauvin, the ex-police officer accused of second-degree murder in Floyd's death, was increased to $1 million. It was initially set at $500,000. His attorney did not contest the bail and didn't address the substance of the charges, which include third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

'George Floyd changed the world'

A musician. A student athlete. A loving brother. A loving father. Floyd was remembered Monday in the city that shaped him, as well as the city that he helped shape: Houston . "He was Third Ward," said Tiffany Cofield. Floyd grew up in the neighborhood's Cuney Homes, also known as "The Bricks," a housing project flush with gang violence and crime. With Cofield, who was a teacher at Hope Academy charter school in the Third Ward, Floyd mentored young men and urged them to quit violence and seek a better life.

Monday, the day that Houston hosted a six-hour public visitation, residents and bystanders flocked to a mural of Floyd spread along the back wall of the Scott Food Store, across the street from the Cuney Homes. Charlene Rosette drove in from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to attend the viewing. She said Floyd helped change hearts across America. "It took George Floyd to die on camera," Rosette said. "But George Floyd changed the world."

People line up at the Fountain of Praise church where services will be held for George Floyd on June 8 in Houston.

JOHANNES EISELE, AFP via Getty Images

Real quick

•	"Dear Class of 2020": Obamas, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga salute young protesters in a YouTube ceremony.
•	Federal prosecutors issued a formal request to interview Prince Andrew as part of the government's investigation into accused child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
•	Russia declared a state of emergency over an Arctic Circle oil spill caused by melting permafrost. The spill of diesel caused rivers to run red.
•	I was furloughed and got too many unemployment payments. Here's how I sent the money back.
•	Opinion: The new "king" of Hollywood? Pete Davidson lends jokes – and real depth – to "Staten Island."

60 million infections avoided

New York City, among the hardest hit by the coronavirus in the USA, is getting back to business. Tentatively . Plenty of restrictions are still in place, but doors are slowly starting to reopen as subway schedules flipped back to normal Monday. Coronavirus cases continue to rise both in the USA and globally. On May 27, America reached the grim milestone of 100,000 deaths. Over the weekend – less than two weeks later – 10,000 dead were added to the list.

In better news, researchers found the USA may have avoided an additional 4.8 million confirmed coronavirus cases, which translates to about 60 million more infections, as a result of statewide lockdowns and mandated social distancing restrictions.

•	What is plasma therapy, and how does it work to treat the coronavirus? Everything you need to know.

Commuters arrive at Grand Central Station during morning rush hour on June 8 in New York City. New York City entered "Phase 1" of a four-part reopening plan after spending more than two months under lockdown. It's the final region in the state to reopen its economy.

ANGELA WEISS, AFP via Getty Images

It's official: We've been in a recession

The United States is in a recession. The National Bureau of Economic Research said Monday that the U.S. economy peaked in February, ending the longest expansion in U.S. history at 128 months – or about 10.5 years. The announcement codifies the painfully obvious. States began shutting down nonessential businesses in mid-March to contain the spread of the coronavirus, halting about 30% of economic activity and putting tens of millions of Americans out of work. The NBER called the recession about three months after it began, the fastest such determination since the recession in 1980 and far shorter than the typical nine months to a year.

What everyone's talking about

•	Jeff Bezos shared angry customer emails over support of Black Lives Matter but says his position "won't change."
•	Drew Brees' wife apologizes for her husband's comments on the flag: "We are the problem." Read her comments here.
•	A major divide is developing within the community of CrossFit enthusiasts in the wake of comments made by company CEO Greg Glassman.
•	"Brooklyn Nine-Nine" star Terry Crews faced backlash after he tweeted, "Defeating White supremacy without White people creates Black supremacy."
•	GLAAD slams J.K. Rowling for "inaccurate and cruel" transphobic comments: "There is no excuse."
•	"We're not doing guns": Elmer Fudd is losing his rifle in HBO's "Looney Tunes" cartoon reboot.

From a tropical storm to a depression, Cristobal weakens

The once-mighty Tropical Storm Cristobal may have weakened to a tropical depression, but more than 20,000 homes and businesses in Louisiana and Mississippi were without power Monday morning . Wind, rain, flooding and even tornadoes remain a threat from the Gulf Coast to Missouri. The storm was expected to produce rainfall accumulations of 5 to 10 inches across portions of the Gulf Coast into the Lower Mississippi Valley, with isolated amounts to 15 inches. Heavy rains and the potential for flooding were forecast as far north as Wisconsin, the weather service said.

•	Hurricane season is off to historically fast start. What does that mean for the rest of the year?

Take a break from the news

These are stressful, uncertain times we live in, and mental and physical health should remain a priority. Try these 17 things to help with self-care and relaxation at home.

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