Good morning, NBC News readers.
The Atlanta police killing of a Black man has sparked renewed outrage over police departments' use of deadly force during their interactions with Black Americans. An American has been sentenced to 16 years in a Russian prison on dubious spying charges. And as the coronavirus pandemic continues in the U.S., the Chinese are on a charm offensive.
Here's what we're watching this Monday morning.
Atlanta police shooting ruled a homicide
Authorities in Georgia ruled Sunday that the fatal police shooting of Rayshard Brooks outside an Atlanta Wendy's was a homicide.
Brooks, 27, died after he was shot twice in the back on Friday night, the Fulton County Medical Examiner's Office said in a statement.
Surveillance video shows Brooks was compliant and friendly with the two Atlanta police officers while they administered a field sobriety test and admitted he had been drinking. The situation quickly devolved when the officers tried to handcuff Brooks and take him into custody.
Video shows Brooks running away from the officers with a stun gun that he'd taken from one of them. After Brooks shot the stun gun, the police responded with the lethal fire that killed him.
His death sparked a fresh wave of anger and protests over the use of deadly force by police during their interactions with Black Americans.
Within 24 hours of his death, the Atlanta police chief resigned and the police officer who fired the deadly shot was fired.
Former U.S. marine sentenced to 16 years in Russian prison on spying charges
Paul Whelan, a former U.S. marine held in Russia on suspicion of spying, was sentenced Monday to 16 years in jail, according to state media reports and the U.S. embassy in Moscow.
Whelan, who holds U.S., British, Canadian and Irish passports, was detained in the Russian capital at the end of December 2018. He was accused of espionage, a charge he denies.
The U.S. Ambassador to Russia, John J. Sullivan, has demanded that Whelan be released immediately and called his conviction a mockery of justice.
"This secret trial in which no evidence was produced is an egregious violation of human rights and international legal norms," Sullivan said.
Chinese consulates deploying 'mask diplomacy' in U.S. communities
As the coronavirus was lashing Louisiana last month, hospital workers in the small town of Monroe lined up before work for a free lunch from a nearby steakhouse — paid for by the Chinese government.
When the meals arrived in a big white truck, a local newspaper photographer was on hand to capture the moment as health workers, still in scrubs, held up signs with big, red hearts. The Chinese Consulate in Houston, working with a local World War II museum, had donated meals for everyone at Monroe’s St. Francis Medical Center, hit hard by COVID-19.
"Thank you for everything," an American health care worker said to the Chinese consulate in a video posted to Facebook.
With China on the defensive over the coronavirus pandemic, its diplomatic missions in the United States are on a charm offensive, organizing donations of medical supplies and food to American communities large and small.
All five of China’s consulates in the U.S., along with its Embassy in Washington, have been involved, an NBC News investigation found.
Want to receive the Morning Rundown in your inbox? Sign up here.
Plus
- Therapists are under strain in COVID-19 era, struggling to counsel clients on trauma they're experiencing themselves.
- Is it safe? High-risk Brits can't understand the government's COVID-19 advice.
- NASCAR opened up its races to a limited audience on Sunday for the first time since coronavirus and days after its Confederate flag ban.
- Israel's government approved funding on Sunday for a new "Trump Heights" settlement.
THINK about it
Netflix's "Da 5 Bloods" tells Black Vietnam veterans' stories the way only Spike Lee can, film critic Aramide A. Tinubu writes in an opinion piece.
Live BETTER
Running to lose weight? Don't make this simple mistake.
Shopping
The federal tax filing deadline is July 15. Planning to file your taxes online? We asked experts how to find the best online tax service for you.
One fun thing
After supporting each other through medical school and graduating at the same time, Dr. Cynthia Kudji-Sylvester and her daughter Dr. Jasmine Kudji were shocked and excited to find out they would be reuniting when they both matched with Louisiana State University Health to complete their residency training.
Thanks for reading the Morning Rundown. I hope you had a restful weekend.
If you have any comments — likes, dislikes — drop me an email at: petra@nbcuni.com
If you'd like to receive this newsletter Monday to Friday, please sign-up here.
Thanks, Petra Cahill
