Stories from June 3, 2020

Pentagon chief rejects Trump's threat to use military to quell unrest
In a public break with President Trump, Defense Secretary Mark Esper says he does not support invoking the 1807 Insurrection Act and deploying troops to American streets.
Cop in Floyd death got medals for valor and drew complaints
A Minneapolis police officer who used his knee to pin down George Floyd’s neck before his death had a record that included both medals for bravery and 17 complaints against him. 
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison on Wednesday added a second-degree murder charge to the counts against ex-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the killing of George Floyd. He also charged the three other officers fired in the incident. “The investigation is ongoing. We are following the path of all the evidence, wherever it leads,” Ellison told reporters as he announced the charges and pleaded with the public for patience in the probe. This is an MPR News evening update for June 3, 2020. Hosted by Britta Greene. Our theme music is by Gary Meister.
North Minneapolis church offers food lifeline
In places where access to food and other household needs was already limited, the arson and looting that grew out of some protests made the problem worse. At the corner of Broadway and Aldrich avenues in north Minneapolis, Sanctuary Covenant church has become the only place to pick up groceries for blocks.
Community voices on the aftermath of George Floyd's killing
Black voices have historically been silenced, marginalized or ignored. In the wake of the killing of George Floyd, MPR News guest host Marianne Combs made space to listen to and amplify black voices and experiences.
Obama steps out as nation confronts confluence of crises
Former President Barack Obama is taking on an increasingly public role as the nation confronts a confluence of historic crises. Obama held a virtual town hall with young people Wednesday to discuss policing and the civil unrest that has followed Floyd’s death in Minneapolis.
Armed neighborhood groups form in the absence of police protection
As break-ins and fires raged in the first days of protests over the killing of George Floyd, Minneapolis seemed to descend into a security vacuum. So volunteers banded together and stepped up.
What could a civil rights investigation uncover?
More than a decade of Minneapolis Police Department practices will be reviewed as part of a new civil rights probe.
Publishers sue Internet Archive for 'mass copyright infringement'
The lawsuit filed this week in federal court alleges that the organization, which lends books online for free, amounts to a "piracy site" that has been eluding copyright law for years.
Tropical Storm Cristobal threatens Gulf Coast this weekend. Season's 3rd tropical cyclone forms two months ahead of average.
Attorneys, family call on prosecutors to amend Chauvin charges
They say a third-degree murder charge could allow former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin to “to evade the punishment warranted for his actions.”
Trump defends symbolism of photo-op at St. John's Church
"Most religious leaders loved it," the president said in a Fox News Radio interview, defending his visit Monday after protesters were forcibly cleared from the area.
Ella Jones elected first black mayor of Ferguson, Mo.
Jones will be the first woman to serve as mayor of the city. Ferguson, Mo., gained international attention in 2014 after the killing of a young black man by police and the protests that followed.
After a stormy Tuesday, the weather turns much quieter Wednesday.  The drier break will be brief though, with more storms possible Thursday.
Esper breaks with Trump, opposes using military for protests
Breaking with President Donald Trump, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Wednesday he opposes using military forces for law enforcement in containing current street protests.
How a mother protects her black teenage son from the world
Minnesota state Rep. Ruth Richardson doesn't want her teenage son, Shawn, a track athlete, to go running outside. "You can't do the same things that your white friends do," she remembers telling him.
Behind the front that helped cause Tuesday’s storms, the weather Wednesday will be drier, less humid and not as hot.
The Minneapolis school board voted Tuesday night to end its relationship with the Minneapolis Police Department, which had been scrutinized for years. The district's recent budget put over $1 million toward funding 11 school resource officers. Community members, some school leaders and the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers had called for the district to cut ties with the police. This is an MPR News morning update for Wednesday June 3, 2020. Hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Our theme music is by Gary Meister.
Floyd killing: 2nd-degree murder count for Chauvin; 3 other ex-cops charged
“Winning a conviction will be hard,” Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said Wednesday as he added second-degree murder to the charges against ex-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the killing of George Floyd.
Nation's streets calmest in days, protests largely peaceful
There were scattered reports of looting in New York City overnight, and as of Wednesday morning there had been over 9,000 arrests nationwide since the unrest began following George Floyd's killing May 25 in Minneapolis. But there was a marked quiet compared with the unrest of the past few nights, which included fires and shootings in some cities.
Twin Cities Black artists need broad community support more than ever
As the Twin Cities wrestles with the killing of George Floyd, structural racism and community devastation, artists will be crucial in articulating a path forward. But Black-led arts organizations are chronically underfunded.
Iowa Rep. Steve King ousted in GOP primary, AP projects
After years of incendiary comments on race, King was largely abandoned by GOP leaders. He was defeated in Tuesday's primary by state Sen. Randy Feenstra, according to The Associated Press.
Arson, attempted murder among charges in Minneapolis unrest
One man is charged with two counts of attempted murder for allegedly shooting at police officers during unrest in Minneapolis last week, while two men face federal charges for allegedly throwing Molotov cocktails into a suburban government building.