Sent as an email newsletter Sunday, June 7.
👋 Hi, friends. Welcome to the latest edition of Newley’s Notes, a weekly newsletter containing my recent Wall Street Journal stories, must-read links on tech and life, and funny dog videos.
When the previous NN went out one week ago, protests over George Floyd’s death were only beginning to spread beyond Minneapolis.
🗣️ Now they are not just a national phenomenon. They’ve gone global, stretching from Europe to Australia.
There have been many peaceful protests in the U.S., in big cities and in small towns. There has also been some violence and looting.
And perhaps most telling, there have been more incidents of alleged police brutality…as a result of people protesting against police brutality.
President Trump’s forceful removal of peaceful protesters before he walked to a church to pose for photos Monday, it seems to me, could prove a defining moment.
While we’re still five months out from the presidential election, a new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll found two thirds of 1,062 adults surveyed said Trump has “mostly increased tensions” in the wake of Floyd’s death.
🗳️ If the election were held today, 50% of those surveyed said they’d vote for Former Vice President Joe Biden, compared to 43% for Trump.
Oh, and there’s also the Covid–19 pandemic, the severe economic challenges it has ushered in, and Hong Kong caught in the middle of China-U.S. tensions.
🇭🇰 Speaking of Hong Kong: I had a story out Wednesday about a survey showing the vast majority of U.S. firms are concerned about China’s new national security laws for the city.
What will the coming months bring?
On to this week’s NN.
Here are ten items worth your time this week:
📹 1) How, exactly, did George Floyd die at the hands of Derek Chauvin? The New York Times has a chilling, illuminating recreation based on security camera footage and other sources. LINK
🔮 2) Why has the Black Lives Matter movement coalesced with such force now? It’s had time to build steam following its emergence seven years ago; Floyd’s death was egregious; Covid–19 has highlighted racial disparities; and lockdowns mean people have been glued to their screens, The New York Times Magazine’s Jenna Wortham writes. LINK
⚠️ 3) Journalists are getting hit by police violence. Online investigations outfit Bellingcat has noted more than 140 incidents so far. (My WSJ colleague Tyler Blint-Welsh said on Twitter NYPD officers struck him the face with their shields; he injured his ankle and his glasses were broken.) LINK
🗯️ 4) Additional criticism of Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook for not taking action against Pres. Trump’s “when the looting starts, the shooting starts” post: more than 140 scientists who have received funds from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative sent Zuckerberg a letter saying misinformation and “divisive language” conflicts with their goal to improve the world. LINK
🖊️ 5) Former defense secretary Jim Mattis said President Trump is fanning the flames of division. "Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people – does not even pretend to try,” Mattis said in a statement. LINK
👉 6) Joe Biden officially secured the Democratic nomination. LINK
📌 7) The last person receiving a Civil War pension passed away at the age of 90 in Wilkesboro, N.C. LINK
🛰️ 8) Legendary German electronic band Kraftwerk played a show featuring a special guest: an astronaut aboard the International Space Station. LINK
🦊 9) As they move from forests into the cities, rural red foxes in the U.K. appear to be…turning themselves into dog-like creatures (aka “self domesticating”). LINK
🐕 10) Dog-related video of the week: “Shelter Dog Can’t Stop Jumping For Joy.” LINK.
💡 Quote of the week:
“Whenever you are about to find fault with someone, ask yourself the following question: What fault of mine most nearly resembles the one I am about to criticize?” – Marcus Aurelius
👊 Fist bump from Hong Kong,
Newley