Here’s everything you missed on May 25, 2021.
1. Today is the 1 year anniversary of the death of George Floyd, which sparked a huge reaction and retaliation from the American people towards the policing industry that has not gone away. Darnella Frazier, the teenage girl who filmed the infamous video of police officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck, said “A part of my childhood was taken from me…A lot of people call me a hero even though I don’t see myself as one. I was just in the right place at the right time.” The President and Vice President invited the family of George Floyd to the White House today on the 1 year anniversary of his death, where his family urged Biden to pass the George Floyd Justice and Policing Act into law as it stalls in the Senate. Biden promised to pass the law as soon as possible.
2. Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene is facing backlash, even from her own Republican party, regarding her comments comparing the mask mandate to the treatments of Jews during the Holocaust. In a series of Twitter posts, Greene bashed many private businesses for their decision to keep a mask mandate following the CDC guidelines. One of her tweets read, “Vaccinated employees get a vaccination logo just like the Nazi’s forced Jewish people to wear a gold star.” in another, she talks about the many universities requiring the COVID vaccine in order to attend in-person classes, “It appears Nazi practices have already begun on our youth. Show your VAX papers or no in-person class for you. This is exactly what I was saying about the gold star.” Many Republican leaders, such as McCarthy and Mitch McConnel have publicly condemned her comments.
3. U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has stated the US will help Gaza following the cease-fire with a plan to reopen an outreach office to Palestine and offer $40 million in aid. Blinken met with both Israel and Palestine leaders and promised a solution leading to their cease-fire, as well as better US and international assistance. Following Trump’s overwhelming Israel support, Blinken promised the Biden administration will be fairer in their aid and offer both governments aid to rebuild after their latest violence. Blinken did confirm Israel’s right to defend itself and US support to the nation, but assistance to replenish and rebuild Gaza is still a vital portion of his proposed plan.
4. On June 16, President Biden will be meeting with Russian President Putin in Geneva, Switzerland. The leaders will discuss the future of the US-Russian relationship, problems of strategic stability, as well as topical issues on the international agenda, including interaction in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic and the settlement of regional conflicts.