A Moment of National Shame and Peril—and Hope  —  We may be witnessing the beginning of the end of American democracy, but there is still a way to stop the descent.  —  The slide of the United States into illiberalism may well have begun on June 1, 2020.  Remember the date.

White man accused of killing Ahmaud Arbery allegedly used racial slur after shooting, investigator says  —  The white Georgia man accused of killing an unarmed black man, Ahmaud Arbery, used a racial slur after the fatal shooting, according to another suspect's account to an investigator.

William Barr's Vast, Nameless Army Is Being Brought To Bear On D.C. Protesters  —  Federal law enforcement officers are operating on American streets without identification, which experts say breeds a culture of impunity.  —  WASHINGTON ― Just a few hundred feet north of the White House …

The Veepstakes: Handicapping Biden's Choices  —  KEY POINTS FROM THIS ARTICLE  — Joe Biden should not be in a rush to name his vice presidential pick.  Circumstances may change his list of contenders — and probably already have.  — A predictable name leads our list, but a not-so predictable name is second.

I'm a priest.  The police forced me off church grounds for Trump's photo op.  —  This sacred space became a battleground  —  When I arrived in front of St. John's Episcopal Church in Lafayette Square on Monday, bringing granola bars and cases of water, the mood was upbeat.

Senator's ‘Send In the Troops’ Op-Ed in The Times Draws Online Ire  —  Staff members at the newspaper, including a Pulitzer winner, denounced an opinion essay by Tom Cotton, Republican of Arkansas, calling for a military response to protests.  —  “Country Braces for a 9th Straight Night of Unrest …

The black-white economic divide is as wide as it was in 1968  —  14 charts show how deep the economic gap is and how little it has changed in decades.  The covid-19 recession is also hitting black families and business owners far harder than whites.  —  As Black Live Matter protests grow across …

White House Security Blocks Washington's Episcopalian Bishop from Holding a Vigil at Her Church  —  For indispensable reporting on the coronavirus crisis and more, subscribe to Mother Jones' newsletters.  —  On Monday, President Donald Trump tear-gassed an assembly of peaceful demonstrators …

Jobless claims, total unemployment level worse than expected  — Weekly jobless claims totaled 1.877 million last week vs. the Dow Jones estimate of 1.775 million.  — Continuing claims rose sharply, hitting nearly 21.5 million in a sign that workers are being called back to work slowly.

Another Man Who Said 'I Can't Breathe' Died in Custody.  An Autopsy Calls It Homicide.  —  Manuel Ellis of Tacoma, Wash., died in part as a result of how he was restrained, according to the medical examiner, who concluded that his death was a homicide.  —  SEATTLE — A black man who called out …

Philadelphia Inquirer Staffers Launch Protest After Paper's ‘Buildings Matter, Too’ Headline  —  More than 30 employees of color have called out sick to send management a message about racism.  —  Some journalists at The Philadelphia Inquirer are refusing to work on Thursday and posting …

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, City Officials Cutting $100 Million-$150 Million From LAPD Budget, Funds To Be Reinvested In Communities Of Color  —  As he began to speak about reforming the LAPD during his Wednesday evening press conference, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti called this an …

Trump Campaign Looks at Electoral Map and Doesn't Like What It Sees  —  As polls show President Trump significantly trailing his rival, Joseph R. Biden Jr., his campaign is spending heavily in states, like Ohio, that it had hoped would not be competitive at all this year.

A message to the Army community about civil unrest  —  Dear Soldiers, Civilians, Family members and Soldiers for Life:Over the past week, the country has suffered an explosion of frustration over the racial divisions that still plague us as Americans.  And because your Army is a reflection …

RNC expands convention search across the Sun Belt  —  The Republican National Committee is planning site visits over the next 10 days to more than a half-dozen cities — across the South and into Texas and Arizona — as it scrambles for a new convention host, people familiar with the internal discussions tell Axios.

Trump to sign order to waive environmental reviews for key projects  —  New executive order would affect how agencies apply laws such as the Endangered Species Act, National Environmental Policy Act  —  President Trump will sign an executive order Thursday instructing agencies …

Meghan McCain Responded After Her Neighbor Called Her Out For Making False Claims About The Black Lives Matter Protests In New York  —  Yesterday, Meghan McCain tweeted about the protests happening in New York City following the killing of George Floyd by four police officers in Minneapolis.

Facebook runs ad from Congressional candidate urging people to shoot “looting hoards”  —  This is the online edition of the Popular Information newsletter.  Sign up to get independent accountability journalism in your inbox:  —  Facebook is facing an internal revolt over CEO Mark Zuckerberg's handling …

No new COVID-19 cases from Lake of the Ozarks crowds, Missouri health director says  —  ST. LOUIS — The large crowds of people at the Lake of the Ozarks over Memorial Day weekend have not led to any more reported cases of COVID-19, Missouri's top health official health department said Wednesday.

The ‘George Floyd Challenge’: How a Handful of Racist Idiots Went Viral  —  SENSATIONALISM  —  The media and celebs have been stoking fears of “The George Floyd Challenge,” wherein people post photos of kneeling on necks.  But only a few people have actually done it.

U.S. Park Police officers placed on administrative duty over assault on Australian journalists  —  Two U.S. Park Police officers who were seen clubbing and punching Australian journalists in video footage from a demonstration outside the White House have been placed on administrative duty, officials said Wednesday.

How things could go very wrong in America  —  It Can't Happen Here was the title of a 1930s novel about America.  Fascism never came to America — nor is it likely to.  But martial law, or something close to the militarisation of America's cities, is plausible.

‘Everything Is Gone’: Looting Strikes a Second Blow to Reeling Businesses in Minority Neighborhoods  —  Along Philadelphia's 52nd Street corridor, mom-and-pop stores suffered major damage.  Many had been gearing up for revival after weeks of coronavirus shutdowns, and some now face the prospect of months before reopening, if ever.