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| THE BIG STORY
The protests
BuzzFeed News reporters across the country spent the weekend on the ground covering the nationwide protests. Here's the big picture of what they had seen and heard as of Sunday night. A series of huge, peaceful protests against police brutality were in many cities met with a violent, chaotic response by police, and in many cases they were followed by widespread vandalism and looting.
A number of state governors are mobilizing troops in response to the chaos. As of yesterday, there were at least 5,000 National Guard soldiers activated across 15 states, with thousands more ready to be deployed. More than 4,100 people have been arrested nationwide since the protests began, according to a count by the Associated Press.
While the protests played out differently in the dozens of cities where they were held, one common thread was the violent police response. In New York City, police cars were filmed plowing into a crowd of protesters, knocking some to the ground; in Seattle officials are investigating footage of a small child being maced.
There was widespread use of teargas and rubber bullets, as well as a frequent targeting of journalists covering the events. In Santa Monica, California, BuzzFeed News reporter Brianna Sacks was detained and cuffed; dozens more journalists reported being shot at, attacked and pepper sprayed by officers. Protestors in Atlanta on Sunday (Elijah Nouvelage / Getty Images)
STAYING ON TOP OF THIS
There's still a pandemic
The coronavirus still looms in the background of all these protests, and could even spread further in the wake of the mass gatherings. Public health experts mostly agree that outdoor gatherings are less risky than spending extended periods of time in confined spaces, but the combination of big crowds and a lot of yelling could be a real risk — a cheering crowd at a soccer match in Italy was an early spreader of the virus there.
There are ways to reduce risks and still protest — wearing a mask and maintaining social distancing, to begin with. Teargas could be particularly risky, given that the coronavirus targets the lungs — while there's no research into its connection to COVID-19, a US Army study found recruits who had been exposed to tear gas were more vulnerable to respiratory infections like colds and the flu.
Officials are crossing their fingers that as people return to larger gatherings — protests or otherwise — the virus doesn't take off once again. This weekend officials in Missouri warned that at least one attendee of those now-notorious Memorial Day weekend pool parties has tested positive, and that fellow attendees should monitor themselves for symptoms. Scott Pasmore/Twitter / Via Twitter: @scottpasmoretv HELP US KEEP QUALITY NEWS FREE FOR ALL
SNAPSHOTS
A federal security officer was killed in a drive-by shooting outside a government building in Oakland, California. The shooting, which took place during the protests there on Friday night, is being investigated by the FBI.
Two NASA astronauts were successfully launched into space on Saturday, docking with the International Space Station the next day. It was the first human crew sent to space on an American rocket since 2011.
Coronavirus tracking apps are being rolled out across the world. For many workers, they're going to become a requirement of the job.
There's been a flood of hoaxes, disinformation and viral nonsense being shared about the nationwide protests. Here's a running list of all the bullshit. The Care19 coronavirus tracking app, which the governors of North Dakota and South Dakota have asked residents to download. (Paresh Dave / Reuters) IT'S NEWS O'CLOCK
WELCOME BACK, MS. GAGA
A star is reborn
Lady Gaga has a new album out, and it's a return to the pop icon the world fell in love with in the 2000's, writes Pier Dominguez, who's happy to have her back.
"With Chromatica, it’s as if the new Gaga took the lessons and confidence from building her own world in A Star Is Born, and her Enigma Vegas residency, and is ready to be unapologetically Gaga again, filtering her early electropop through ’90s house," he writes. "The album could use more of Gaga’s originality, but it’s a testament to the unique lane she carved for herself that it feels like such a big event to have her back."
You too can be unapologetically Gaga for the day, Tom P.S. If you like this newsletter, help keep our reporting free for all. Support BuzzFeed News by becoming a member here. (monthly memberships are available worldwide) 📝 This letter was edited and brought to you by Tom Gara and BuzzFeed News. You can always reach us here.
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