10 things you need to know today: June 10, 2020

1. Biden, Sharpton call for racial justice at Floyd funeral

Family, friends, and dignitaries gathered in Houston on Tuesday for the funeral of George Floyd, an unarmed black man killed in Minneapolis police custody. People who grew up with Floyd in Houston were in attendance, as were relatives of Eric Garner, a New York man who died in a police chokehold, and those of Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old Georgia man fatally shot in February while jogging. Civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton delivered a eulogy, saying Floyd's death "was not just a tragedy, it was a crime." Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said, "Now is the time for racial justice." Rodney Floyd alluded to the protests against racism and police brutality that his big brother's death sparked. "He's going to change the world," he said.

Reuters USA Today

2. Malfunctioning machines, coronavirus hamper Georgia primary voting

Georgia held primary elections on Tuesday that were marred by faulty voting machines, closed precincts, and social-distancing rules that forced voters to wait in long lines. The balloting was viewed as a failed test for election officials in a potential battleground state ahead of a high-stakes November presidential election, when more than twice as many people are expected to turn out. "What is going on in Georgia? We have been waiting for hours. This is ridiculous. This is unfair," said Anita Heard, 80, as she waited to vote at Cross Keys High School after pollworkers found they couldn't start voting computers and ran short of provisional ballots. Nevada, which also struggled with voting problems, as well as West Virginia and South Carolina, also held primaries.

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Atlanta Journal-Constitution Politico

3. COVID-19 hospitalizations spike in at least 9 states

More than a dozen states and Puerto Rico are experiencing their highest numbers of new coronavirus cases to date, The Washington Post reported late Tuesday based on the newspaper's analysis of public data. Nine of those states − Texas, North and South Carolina, California, Oregon, Arkansas, Mississippi, Utah, and Arizona − have seen a spike in hospitalizations for COVID-19 since Memorial Day. Arizona has told hospitals to activate emergency plans. Utah's seven-day average of new cases has increased 12 of the last 15 days, with hospitalizations more than doubling to 230. The state's government tweeted on Tuesday that the spike is "not explained by more testing or just one outbreak. Eased restrictions don't cause increased cases alone — it's our actions that cause COVID-19 to spread."

The Washington Post CNN

4. WHO clarifies comments on 'rare' asymptomatic coronavirus transmission

The World Health Organization on Tuesday blamed a "misunderstanding" for a WHO official's Monday claim that asymptomatic coronavirus transmission is "rare." The Monday remark provoked skepticism from physicians and other critics. In a Tuesday live stream, WHO officials explained the "very rare" conclusion was in fact only based on a "very small subset of studies." Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO's emergencies program, said that asymptomatic spread of the coronavirus happens, but the portion of asymptomatic individuals who transmit the virus still is a "big open question." "There is much to be answered on this. There is much that is unknown," he said.

CNBC

5. Trump says, without evidence, injured protester possibly 'ANTIFA provocateur'

President Trump on Tuesday tweeted that Martin Gugino, a peace activist injured when a Buffalo police officer shoved him during a demonstration against the killing of George Floyd, "could be an ANTIFA provocateur," a reference to anti-fascist activists Trump has blamed for recent anti-racism unrest. Trump made the suggestion without evidence, and said Gugino "fell harder than was pushed." Friends of Gugino said linking him to antifa was ridiculous. "Antifa? Oh, heavens no," said Judy Metzger, 85. "Martin is a very gentle, a very pleasant person." Gugino, 75, remained in a hospital recovering from a serious head wound sustained when he was shoved onto the pavement. A cellphone video of the Saturday encounter has led to charges against two officers.

The New York Times

6. Trump administration rolls back Alaska hunting restrictions

The Trump administration on Tuesday finalized a rule ending five-year-old protective hunting restrictions in Alaska established by the Obama administration. The 2015 rule aimed to protect wildlife on Alaska's national preserves by banning hunting methods otherwise approved by the state, including luring hibernating bears with junk foods, using dogs to hunt black bears, and using artificial light to enter wolf dens. The new rule will go into effect in 30 days. Alaska officials support the rollback, saying the 2015 regulation infringed on traditional native hunting practices and state policies. Critics say such practices damage conservation efforts, and that strategies like feeding bears doughnuts could cause them to hibernate less, or unbalance the ecosystem.

The Washington Post

7. Gen. Charles Brown confirmed as 1st black service chief

The Senate unanimously confirmed Gen. Charles Brown to be the Air Force's new chief of staff on Tuesday. The move makes Brown the country's first-ever black service chief, and the first black American to sit on the Joint Chiefs of Staff since Colin Powell was chair between 1989 and 1993. Brown is taking over for Gen. David Goldfein, who is expected to retire later this summer. Since 2018, Brown has served as the commander of Pacific Air Forces. He led the U.S. Air Forces Central Command in 2015 and 2016. Before that, he served multiple tours across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, piloting an F-16 fighter jet.

The Hill CNN

8. North Korea says it's severing communications with South Korea

North Korea announced Tuesday that it was cutting off communications with South Korea. The decision was attributed partly to Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. She has gained prominence recently. Pyongyang said the country was responding to the actions of activist defectors who have fled to the South and sent back balloons with propaganda leaflets. Some experts said the move probably was intended to give North Korea leverage following the stalling of high-profile summits in 2018. South Korea said that on Tuesday North Korea failed to answer its military hotline for the first time since the communication link was restored in 2018.

NBC News

9. Tech giants lift Nasdaq above 10,000 for 1st time

Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, and Facebook all rose to record highs on Tuesday, briefly lifting the tech-heavy Nasdaq above 10,000 for the first time in history. The technology giants have fared better than most stocks during the coronavirus crisis as remote workers and consumers forced to stay at home relied more heavily on their products and services. Facebook, Apple, and Amazon each gained more than 3 percent on Tuesday. Microsoft rose by 0.8 percent. The S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down by 0.8 percent and 1.1 percent, respectively, pausing a rally fueled by hopes of an economic recovery as states ease coronavirus lockdowns and reopen their economies. U.S. stock futures were mixed early Wednesday ahead of a Federal Reserve economic forecast.

CNBC

10. CrossFit CEO resigns after backlash over his George Floyd comments

CrossFit founder and CEO Greg Glassman announced Tuesday that he was stepping down, saying he had "created a rift in the CrossFit community" by making light of the response to George Floyd's death. On Saturday, Glassman responded to a Twitter post describing racism as a public health crisis by tweeting, "It's FLOYD-19." Hours earlier, he told gym owners in a Zoom call that his company would not mourn Floyd, a black man killed in Minneapolis police custody. "Can you tell me why I should mourn for him? Other than that it's the white thing to do," he said to a Minneapolis gym owner. Reebok and several athletes cut ties with CrossFit over the comments. Glassman apologized, as did the company, which said his remarks were "not racist but a mistake."

BuzzFeed News The New York Times