| Derek Chauvin is on trial for the killing of George Floyd; a WHO report finds that humans first contracted Covid-19 through animals. Tonight's Sentences was written by Benjamin Rosenberg. | | | | | | | What to expect as the Derek Chauvin trial gets underway | | | | | Star Tribune via Getty Images | | - Just over 10 months after the killing of George Floyd, the former Minneapolis police officer charged with his murder, Derek Chauvin, is on trial starting Monday. Chauvin is facing charges of second- and third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. [CBS News / Erin Donaghue]
- Floyd, a Black man, died on May 25, 2020, after Chauvin, who is white, pinned him by the neck with his knee for more than nine minutes. The video was shared widely and sparked renewed outrage and mass protests against racial injustice around the world. [USA Today]
- The jury selection process was highly scrutinized, and of the 12 selected jurors and three alternates, nine are white, four are Black, and two are multiracial. Nine of the 15 are women, and seven are under the age of 40. [Washington Post / Mark Berman and Holly Bailey]
- Chauvin's attorney, Eric Nelson, will argue that his client's knee on Floyd's neck did not cause Floyd's death. He also said during the selection process that the trial is "not about race." The prosecutors will have to prove that Floyd died due to Chauvin's actions. [Vox / Rachel Ramirez]
- Ben Crump, a well-known civil rights lawyer who is representing Floyd's family, said Chauvin's defense team will try to bring attention to Floyd's record and away from Chauvin's. Chauvin had a history of using excessive force while employed in law enforcement. [NBC News / Janelle Griffith]
- Three other former Minneapolis police officers, J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane, and Tou Thao, were charged with aiding and abetting Chauvin in conjunction with Floyd's death. Chauvin's trial is likely to influence theirs, scheduled for August. [Washington Post / Holly Bailey and Kim Bellware]
| | | The WHO says animals likely transmitted Covid-19 to humans | | - The World Health Organization, reporting from China, said humans were most likely first exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus through animal transmission. The theory some (including former President Trump) have floated of Covid-19 having originated in a lab is "extremely unlikely." [AP / Jamey Keaten and Ken Moritsugu]
- Well into the pandemic, the Chinese government had been strictly controlling research into the virus's origins. Chinese President Xi Jinping had ordered the approval of any research findings by a newly created task force before publication. [AP / Dake Kang, Maria Cheng, and Sam McNeil]
- Experts from the WHO visited Wuhan, China — where the first Covid-19 outbreak took place — in January and February. Researchers gave four scenarios for how the virus could have spread to humans, with the most likely being from bats through another animal. [CBS Pittsburgh / Chris Hoffman]
- The news comes as many countries have begun to contain the pandemic, thanks to vaccines, but others are seeing cases rise once more. Much of Europe is experiencing a resurgence, as is the Philippines, which ordered 25 million people into lockdown through Easter Sunday. [CNN / Julia Hollingsworth and Chandler Thornton]
| | | | | | | The Ever Given, the huge cargo ship that had been stuck in the Suez Canal for most of last week, is now free. | | | [NYT / Vivian Yee and Marc Santora] - Nashville experienced severe flash flooding this weekend due to heavy rainfall, with at least four people killed and several homes and businesses damaged or destroyed. [The Tennessean / Cassandra Stephenson]
- The Biden administration has extended the federal ban on evictions due to the ongoing pandemic. The moratorium was put in place last year to protect renters and is now in effect through the end of June. [AP / Ashraf Khalil and Michael Casey]
- Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has demoted Defense Minister Linda Reynolds and Attorney General Christian Porter, who had been accused of rape and misogyny in separate cases, but the two will still hold senior positions. [NYT / Damien Cave]
| | | | | Support our journalism | | Reader contributions help keep Vox and newsletters like Sentences free for all. Support our work from as little as $3. | | | | | | | | | | "Today starts a landmark trial that will be a referendum on how far America has come in its quest for equality and justice for all. George Floyd galvanized cities all across America and all across the world when that video, that video of torture was viewed millions and millions of times." | | | | | | | | | | |
After President Biden signed the Covid-19 relief bill on March 11, stimulus checks went out to millions of people, but not everyone who's eligible got one. [Spotify / Kelsey Piper] | | | | | | | | |  | This email was sent to edwardlorilla1986.paxforex@blogger.com. Manage your email preferences, or unsubscribe to stop receiving all emails from Vox. If you value Vox's unique explanatory journalism, support our work with a one-time or recurring contribution. Vox Media, 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036.
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