Wednesday, June 3 • 3 Days Under New DHM • At Least 27 Days to Go
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“We’re Tired and We’re Frustrated and We Are Demanding Change.”
The Omaha City Council approved extending Omaha’s state of emergency and recognized reckless policing killed George Floyd. The council also heard public comment about a hate intimidation ordinance. And while the public approved of those actions, they said more’s still needed.
View our guide to local resources at TheReader.com
Good morning,
Today we have stories about an emotionally charged Omaha City Council meeting, the fifth night of protests ending peacefully in the city and the potential for a grand jury investigation into the death of James Scurlock.
Your Top Local Stories
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In Omaha
- The fifth night of protesting in Omaha ended peacefully and in time for curfew, though emotions were no less charged.
- After the Omaha City Council meeting, Mayor Jean Stothert spoke to protesters.
- Some of James Scurlock’s family members were also at the protest and spoke with KMTV.
- Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine said he’s weighing the possibility of having a grand jury look at the death of James Scurlock.
- Omaha bar owners urged people to follow health guidelines as businesses reopen to avoid a second wave of infections and any more shutdowns.
- State Sen. Tony Vargas, of Omaha, condemned violence he saw while marching with protesters. The Omaha Police Officers Association responded, calling those comments ‘false, irresponsible and dangerous.’
- Gov. Pete Ricketts and Pastor Jarrod Parker of North Omaha’s St. Mark Baptist Church both say they would like to meet again. Parker walked out of a Monday meeting with the governor after Ricketts used the phrase “you people.”
- The Omaha Police Department arrested 306 people over four nights of protests. Only four had addresses from outside the area or Nebraska.
- Many arrested protesters were able to get out of jail thanks to Nebraska Left Coalition raising more than $75,000 for bail funds.
- A bystander spoke to KETV about police shooting a pepper bullet in his eye at a Friday protest, causing permeant damage and potential loss of sight.
- A Nebraska Medicine employee issued an apology for a social media post implying if protesters gathering in large numbers get COVID-19, they should be sent home “with a hefty prescription of karma.”
- The attorney representing the man who killed a registered child sex offender in May said his client hadn’t planned to do it.
- Legal experts weighed in on how the First Amendment protects protests Omaha’s seen in the last few days.
Around the State
- Sen. Ben Sasse has stirred controversy again, this time in his own party, as he criticized President Donald Trump for using the Bible as a prop in a photo op.
- After mass testing at a Tyson plant in Council Bluffs, 224 cases of COVID-19 have emerged among workers there.
- Referred to as controversial, divisive and openly racist, Rep. Steve King, of Iowa, lost his bid to seek re-election last night in Iowa’s primary.
What to do during quarantine?
From our list of things to do during quarantine:
Online Music Programming
Streaming services like Spotify are a great way for newcomers to easily listen to favorite artists and find new performers you might like. The basic version is free. Queue up your Spotify playlists, turn down the sound and let them play overnight, because artists get paid a few cents a spin.
What’s Happening In The United States?
As Protests Draw Crowds, Worries of COVID-19 Resurgence
- After months inside, people are now packing shoulder-to-shoulder in public protests. Many aren’t sure how the virus will spread under these conditions and the delayed onset of symptoms means it’s a waiting game to see how bad it resurges.
Minneapolis Police Use Force 7 Times More on Black People
- Nearly 60% of the time, if a Minneapolis police officer shoved, tasered or muscled someone down, they were black, according to the city’s own data. The instances mean black people in the city experience police using force seven times more than white people.
- Former and current CIA analysts who monitor social unraveling in countries abroad say the United States is displaying frightening parallels.
48 Minutes in Washington: An Oral History of Trump’s Photo Op
- The Washington Post provides an oral history of what actually happened to lead to Trump’s now infamous photo op outside a downtown Washington, D.C. church moments after law enforcement cleared protesters away with tear gas.
What’s Happening Across The World?
Sweden, Which Did Not Lock down, “Should Have Done More”
- The country stood out as one of the few that did not impose restrictions on its citizens as the pandemic spread. Now its chief epidemiologist said they should have explored other options.
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