10 things you need to know today: July 5, 2020

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1. Florida's new daily high in coronavirus cases just shy of New York's record
2. Trump vows to defeat 'radical left' in White House Independence Day speech
3. Seattle protester dies after car drives into crowd on closed freeway
4. At least 2 dead, 8 injured in South Carolina nightclub shooting
5. Ethiopia protests death toll rises to 166
6. Biden urges Americans to 'rip the roots of systemic racism out of' U.S. in July 4 message
7. Activists' books now unavailable in Hong Kong public libraries
8. Scientists to send open letter to WHO challenging stance on coronavirus transmission
9. National Park employees were not required to get tested for coronavirus before Mount Rushmore event
10. Kanye West says he's running for president

published 5 July 2020

1. Florida's new daily high in coronavirus cases just shy of New York's record

Florida on Saturday recorded another daily high in coronavirus infections. The state's 11,458 new cases is just shy of New York state's one-day record of 11,571 positive tests in April. Texas also set a new state record, tallying 8,258 newly confirmed cases, while it also registered an all-time high in the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 for the sixth straight day. Health experts are concerned celebrations during the July 4 weekend will exacerbate the problem in several states that are already dealing with a rising number of cases and positive test rates. While the surge in cases in some states mirror what happened in New York earlier this year, the average daily COVID-19 death toll in the U.S. has continued to decline, perhaps because younger, healthier people are making up a larger percent of those infected, but there are concerns that trend won't hold.

Just one day after his divisive speech at Mount Rushmore, President Trump on Saturday delivered a similar Independence Day address — this time at the White House — in which he said his administration was "in the process of defeating the radical left" amid nationwide protests against police brutality and systemic racism, which have included efforts to remove numerous statues and monuments. "We will never allow an angry mob to tear down our statues, erase our history, indoctrinate our children, or trample on our freedoms," he said to an audience that included front-line medical workers and others central in responding to the coronavirus pandemic. Trump did touch on the pandemic in his speech, as well, defending his administration's response and expressing optimism that "we've learned to put out the flame" despite a record-setting rise in daily infections in states like Florida and Texas.

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One person was killed and another has been hospitalized and remains in serious condition after a car drove onto a closed freeway during a protest against police brutality in Seattle, Washington, early Saturday. The victim, 24-year-old Summer Taylor, died Saturday evening at Harborview Medical Center, a hospital spokeswoman said. Washington State Patrol said Saturday that the driver, a 27-year-old man, is in custody. Police have not offered a motive yet, but the suspect was not impaired. At a news conference Saturday, Capt. Ron Mead did not explain how the driver bypassed a police closure to reach the victims, but he said he hopes the incident will mean protesters "reconsider their desire to be on the interstate" because "I cannot guarantee their safety, plain and simple."

At least two people were killed and eight others injured after a shooting early Sunday at a nightclub in Greenville, South Carolina. The surviving victims are reportedly in "various" conditions. A deputy with the Greenville County Sheriff's office initially responded to a disturbance at the club before The Greenville Police Department and South Carolina Highway Patrol arrived. There are no suspects in custody and investigators reportedly remain on the scene, though the sheriff's office said it has "some suspect information." The nightclub was hosting a "very, very, very large crowd" for a concert when the shooting occurred, Greenville County Sheriff Hobart Lewis said.

At least 166 people have died during protests in Ethiopia sparked by the murder of pop star Haacaaluu Hundeessaa on Monday. Most of the deaths occurred in the Oromia region, where 145 demonstrators and 11 security personnel were killed. Another 10 deaths occurred in Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa. Jibril Mohammed, head of the Oromia Security and Peace Bureau, said more deaths could be reported. Officials have attributed the deaths to a combination of lethal force by security officers and inter-ethnic violence. Haacaaluu, a member of the Oromo ethnic group whose music dealt with the Oromos' sense of political and economic hardship, was shot and killed by unknown attackers earlier this week in Addis Ababa, heightening ethnic tensions.

Former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, on Saturday delivered an Independence Day message calling on Americans to "commit to finally" fulfilling the goals of the Declaration of Independence. Biden said the U.S. was founded on the idea "that all men are created equal" but "we've never lived up to it." From there, Biden's short video took an optimistic turn as he claimed "we have a chance to rip the roots of systemic racism out of this country" and "live up to the words that founded this nation." The former vice president did not mention his likely future opponent, President Trump, by name.

Online records show books written by prominent Hong Kong pro-democracy activists are no longer available in the city's public libraries shortly after China passed a new national security law that severely limits Hong Kong's autonomy. Hong Kong's Leisure and Cultural Services Department said Sunday it will "review whether certain books that violate the stipulations" of the law, which aims to root out secessionist activity, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces following several months of anti-government, pro-democracy protests in the city. While China has maintained the legislation won't curtail freedom of speech, critics believe it will lead to widespread censorship.

Researchers are planning to publish an open letter to the World Health Organization next week outlining evidence that smaller coronavirus particles can infect people, The New York Times reports. The letter, which will reportedly be signed by 239 scientists in 32 countries, will challenge the agency's view that the virus is spread primarily by large respiratory droplets that fall quickly to the ground after infected people cough or sneeze. The Times spoke with several experts who believe the WHO's stance that the virus isn't airborne is misguided. Researchers say studies have shown that coronavirus aerosols can indeed hang in the air for longer periods of time and float dozens of feet, meaning people can become infected by inhaling the particles. The WHO said the theories remain unconvincing and are based on lab experiments rather than field evidence.

The National Park Service said it did not require employees who worked during the Independence Day celebration Friday night at Mount Rushmore in South Dakota to get tested for the coronavirus, CNN reports. The gathering, which President Trump attended and spoke at, was controversial because social distancing was not enforced despite the pandemic. Some Park Service staff reportedly did wear masks, and face coverings were available to all employees, but not mandatory. "None of the Incident Management Team members for the event have reported exhibiting any symptoms or feeling unwell," agency spokesperson Dana Soehn said Saturday. They have been encouraged to "conduct daily self-monitoring for symptoms of COVID-19," Soehn said.

Kanye West on Saturday tweeted that he will run for president in 2020. The rapper, who has expressed support for President Trump in the past, said he would make a White House bid in 2020 during the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards, but last year he said he would wait until 2024. Supposedly, he's gone back to the original plan, saying "we must now realize the promise of America by trusting God, unifying or vision, and building our future." It's unclear whether West is really going to run, although his wife, Kim Kardashian, retweeted the message. Tesla CEO Elon Musk told West he has his "full support."

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Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.