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George Floyd protests, jobless claims, Yosemite National Park reopening: 5 things to know Thursday

Editors  |  Paste BN

George Floyd protests: Seattle Police precinct to remain closed 

A Seattle Police Department precinct shuttered during the ongoing George Floyd protests will remain closed Thursday as the city's department said it's working to restart conversations about how to move forward, according to local reports. The precinct is part of a larger area run by protesters since Monday, now dubbed the "Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone" or "CHAZ" — named after the city's Capitol Hill neighborhood. After earlier violent clashes, the department reopened the streets so people could march in front of the precinct. Instead, the protesters set up tents and have blocked streets, KING-TV explained.  The developments drew the ire of President Donald Trump, who sent two aggressive tweets late Wednesday, including one that called out Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan.

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Another 1.5M file for unemployment

Even as the U.S. adds jobs in large numbers as restaurants and other Main Street businesses shuttered by the COVID-19 outbreak reopen, the nation is still hemorrhaging hundreds of thousands of positions as the economic effects spread to other industries. About 1.5 million Americans filed first-time applications for unemployment insurance last week, the Labor Department said Thursday. That pushes the tally of those who have made initial claims – a rough measure of layoffs -- over the past 12 weeks past a staggering 43 million. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg expected the Labor Department to report 1.6 million initial claims.

Yosemite National Park to reopen with crowd controls

California's Yosemite National Park is reopening Thursday, but with some restrictions. For now, visitors must reserve day passes in advance instead of driving up to the park for entry. The park will offer 1,700 vehicle passes each day. Overnight camping and lodging will also resume Thursday, as will retail and food and beverage services. The advance reservations system for day use is temporary and will end when the park resumes regular operations, according to the park service. Yosemite draws 4.4 million visitors a year, placing it in the top 10 most-visited national parks.

Will judge sign off on J.C. Penney store closures? 

A court hearing is scheduled Thursday in J.C. Penney's proposal to close 154 stores as the company tries to stabilize its finances under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The department store chain, the largest company to file for bankruptcy protection so far during the coronavirus pandemic, had already said it would close 242 locations for good, leaving about 600 open. Assuming Bankruptcy Judge David Jones signs off, going-out-of-business sales could begin immediately and are expected to last 10 to 16 weeks. 

PlayStation 5 event offers glimpse of games on new system

Gamers get their first glimpse of what the PlayStation 5 is capable of during the "Future of Gaming" event Thursday. The show, which will run for "a bit more than an hour," was originally scheduled for June 4, but was delayed in solidarity with protests around the world. It is still unknown what the PlayStation 5 looks like, and Sony's announcements are only promising footage of games running on PS5 during the broadcast. It's also unclear when Sony will reveal the price and release date of the PS5. The event begins at 4 p.m. ET; you can stream the show via YouTube or Twitch. 

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