AMERICA PROTESTS-CHARLOTTE SCUFFLE

N. Carolina officer ‘assaulted in broad daylight’ at protest

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — A Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police officer who has met with and walked with demonstrators a number of times was involved in a scuffle Monday afternoon with protesters one day after he’d had another tense interaction. Video shows CMPD Captain Brad Koch surrounded by chanting protesters in front of the local government center and a white male protester approaches and shoves him. After being pushed, Koch took the man to the ground as more protestors were seen piling on. He was the only officer in the immediate vicinity.  No injuries were reported, but CMPD said Koch was “assaulted in broad daylight.”

VIRUS OUTBREAK-SPEEDWAY

Sheriff won’t cite N.C. speedway for crowd despite order

ALTAMAHAW, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina sheriff says he won’t cite a local stock car speedway for violating the state’s prohibition against mass gatherings due to COVID-19 after another large crowd gathered there for races. Monday’s announcement by Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson appears to open the door for Gov. Roy Cooper to seek legal action against the owner of Ace Speedway. Cooper’s executive order caps most outdoor meetings to 25 people. Media outlets have reported crowds at the speedway exceeding 2,000, including Saturday. Johnson says he’s got reservations about order’s legality. Cooper called the speedway’s opening to crowds a “reckless decision.”

BC-NC-CONFEDERATE MONUMENT REMOVAL-NORTH CAROLINA

Rocky Mount approves removal of Confederate monument

ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. (AP) — The North Carolina city of Rocky Mount has approved the removal of a Confederate statue that has stood for more than a century. CBS 17 reports that the Rocky Mount City Council approved the removal Monday night. The vote follows several days of protests in North Carolina and across the country against racism and police brutality. The demonstrations were sparked by the death of George Floyd, a black man who died in police custody in Minneapolis. Since Floyd’s death, Virginia’s governor has ordered the removal of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee from the city of Richmond. The city’s mayor has also announced plans to remove other Confederate monuments.

VIRUS-OUTBREAK-REPUBLICAN CONVENTION

GOP lawmakers push bill to keep Trump, RNC in North Carolina

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Republican state lawmakers in North Carolina plan to introduce a bill that would allow President Donald Trump to speak in front of a packed Republican National Convention. The measure would allow the convention in Charlotte to operate without many of the restrictions aimed at controlling the spread of the coronavirus. The move comes after Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper said the August convention would have to be scaled down to protect public health. Trump responded by announcing that he’d speak in a different state. The bill is sponsored by Republican Rep. John Torbett of Gaston. It is largely symbolic as Cooper is likely to reject it and Republicans are unlikely to have the votes to override a veto.

ELECTION 2020-REPUBLICAN CONVENTION-GEORGIA

Republicans tour Savannah as possible GOP convention site

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Organizers of the Republican National Convention are giving Georgia’s oldest city a close look as a possible replacement venue for the summer convention. Gov. Brian Kemp joined 2020 convention CEO Marcia Lee Kelly for a tour of Savannah on Monday. The Republican governor said in a statement that Savannah would offer “a truly unmatched experience to the Republican National Convention.” The RNC is looking for a new venue for President Donald Trump’s nomination speech in August after Trump insisted on pulling out of Charlotte, North Carolina, because of state officials’ concerns about the coronavirus. Other cities under consideration include Nashville, Tennessee, and Orlando, Florida, as well as New Orleans Las Vegas, Dallas and Phoenix.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-NORTH CAROLINA

As cases climb, Cooper warns of consequences of virus spread

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper is warning the public about the consequences of the spread of COVID-19  as the state’s case and hospitalization numbers reach new highs. North Carolina recorded the highest one-day increase in cases over the weekend, and the number of virus-related deaths now exceed 1,000. Cooper said Monday that the reopening of the public schools in August could be in jeopardy if health precautions aren’t taken seriously. Cooper and state health Secretary Mandy Cohen said people who have been in crowds should get tested. That includes thousands that have been demonstrating since the death of George Floyd.

IMMIGRATION-SHERIFFS

N.C. justices back sheriffs involved in immigration program

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The North Carolina Supreme Court has ruled state judges don’t have authority to release defendants held on federal immigration-related arrest and detainer documents by a sheriff formally working on behalf of the U.S. government. The justices unanimously upheld portions of a Court of Appeals ruling that vacated 2017 orders by a Superior Court judge involving two defendants held in the Mecklenburg County jail. Then-Sheriff Irwin Carmichael had entered an agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to carry out immigration laws. The Supreme Court says the judge’s authority to examine their release was superseded by federal law because Carmichael participated in the program.

AP-US-GEORGE-FLOYD-MEMORIAL

George Floyd’s body returns to Houston for final services

HOUSTON (AP) — Houston’s police chief says the body of George Floyd has arrived in Texas for a final memorial service and funeral. Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo tweeted early Sunday that Floyd’s family had also arrived safely. A six-hour viewing for Floyd is planned for Monday in Houston, followed by funeral services and burial Tuesday in suburban Pearland.  He will be laid to rest next to his mother, Larcenia Floyd. Floyd died May 25 after a Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into his neck for several minutes even after he stopped responding.

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