The New York Times - Your Wednesday Briefing

By Melina Delkic

Writer, Briefings

Good morning. We’re covering a guilty verdict for the murder of George Floyd, and the latest recommendation on the Johnson & Johnson shot.

A guilty verdict for the murder of George Floyd

Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer, was found guilty on all counts in the death of George Floyd on Tuesday. The verdict capped one of the most-watched trials in the U.S. in recent memory. Follow live reaction.

The jury found him guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter. Mr. Chauvin faces up to 40 years in prison when he is sentenced in the coming weeks but is likely to receive far less time.

It was a quick verdict, just one day after lawyers made their closing arguments. For three weeks, America has followed the trial over the killing last year that set off worldwide protests against police brutality and racism. Mr. Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, died on May 25 after being handcuffed and pinned to the ground under the knee of Mr. Chauvin, who is white, for more than nine minutes.

President Biden called the family of Mr. Floyd on Monday and said the evidence against Mr. Chauvin was “overwhelming,” adding that he was praying for the “right verdict.” People around the country held their breath waiting for the news.

On the ground: Demonstrators marched through downtown Minneapolis on Monday as jury deliberations started. Bracing for unrest, some businesses and schools closed, and states around the country ordered National Guard troops to be on standby.

Related: The Times reviewed similar police killing cases around the U.S. Very few have led to convictions at trial.

J.&J. will resume European rollout

Johnson & Johnson said on Tuesday that it would resume its European vaccine rollout after the E.U. drug regulator said that the shot’s benefits outweigh the risks. The agency also said a warning should be added indicating a possible link to blood clots.

“The reported combination of blood clots and low blood platelets is very rare, and the overall benefits of Covid-19 Vaccine Janssen in preventing Covid-19 outweigh the risks of side effects,” the European Medicines Agency said in a statement.

Johnson & Johnson decided to delay its rollout in the E.U. last week, after U.S. regulators called for a pause over rare cases of blood clots.

Here are the latest updates and maps of the pandemic.

In other developments:

• Rahul Gandhi, an opposition Congress party leader in India, tested positive for the coronavirus.
• Researchers in China are testing the safety and efficacy of mixing two different Covid-19 shots.
• The World Health Organization representative in Cambodia has warned that a coronavirus outbreak there could spiral into a “national tragedy,” given the country’s poor health care services.

Xi’s veiled warning to the U.S.

Speaking virtually at China’s annual Boao Forum, Xi Jinping, the country’s leader, warned that the world should not allow “unilateralism pursued by certain countries to set the pace for the whole world.” The remarks were seen as directed at the U.S.

Mr. Xi said he opposed efforts to weaken dependence on China. “Attempts to ‘erect walls’ or ‘decouple’” would “hurt others’ interests without benefiting oneself,” he said. That appeared to be a reference to the Biden administration’s plans to support domestic high-tech manufacturing in the U.S.

The audience included American business leaders, like Tim Cook of Apple, Elon Musk of Tesla and Wall Street financiers.

Context: The White House held a meeting with business leaders last week to discuss a global shortage in semiconductor chips. President Biden talked about self-sufficiency and resiliency in supply chains.

Related: China’s chokehold over the global solar supply chain is forcing the Biden administration to make a tough choice: work with China on climate change, or exclude China until it addresses human rights issues in Xinjiang. Nearly half of the global supply of one key material used in solar panels comes from Xinjiang.

THE LATEST NEWS

• President Idriss Déby of Chad, considered by the West to be crucial in the fight against Islamic extremist groups, was killed in clashes between insurgents and government soldiers. He was 68.
• Recent waves of attacks in Iran, believed to have been carried out by Israel, have exposed embarrassing security lapses.
• Pakistan’s Parliament is expected to vote on Tuesday on whether to expel the French ambassador, a move seen as a capitulation to a militant Islamist party.
• President Vladimir Putin of Russia is taking a harder line in confronting the West. His state of the union speech today could shed light on just how far he is prepared to escalate tensions.

China’s fine on Alibaba. E.U. limits on artificial intelligence technologies. U.S. officials who want to break up Amazon, Google and Facebook. Around the world, governments are moving to rein in the power of tech companies with an urgency that no single industry had experienced before.

Lives Lived: Walter Mondale, the former vice president and champion of liberal politics, died at age 93.

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ARTS AND IDEAS

‘Seismic’ changes in European soccer

This week, 12 teams — six from England (including Liverpool and Manchester United) and three each from Italy and Spain — announced they would drop out of a continentwide tournament to form a breakaway Super League. It’s an attempt to earn even bigger profits without worrying about failing to qualify for the Champions League every year.

“The proposal is the most seismic challenge to the European football model since its inception,” The Atlantic’s Tom McTague writes. Without 12 of the most glamorous teams, the Champions League will lose much of its luster and revenue. And although the 12 teams have said that they want to remain in their domestic leagues, the executives of those leagues are so angry that they may try to bar the teams. Politicians, like Boris Johnson of Britain, are angry, too.

“The breakaway clubs have, effectively, sealed off the summit,” The Times’s Rory Smith says. “It is what makes this such a compelling, and dangerous, moment.”

We’re covering the mounting opposition to the plan, and we have an explainer on what it entails. You can follow the story in Rory’s newsletter.

PLAY, WATCH, EAT

Leeks slow-cooked in olive oil are the star of this hearty vegetarian meal.

Each summer along the Alaska coast, millions of salmon begin their journey back to the rivers where they were spawned. See what it’s like.

Michelle Zauner, a musician who performs under the name Japanese Breakfast, wrote about the death of her mother in an essay for The New Yorker, “Crying in H Mart,” which led to a memoir by the same name.

Here’s today’s Mini Crossword, and a clue: Surly person (five letters).

And here is today’s Spelling Bee.

You can find all our puzzles here.

That’s it for today’s briefing. See you next time. — Melina

P.S. The Times won a World Press Photo award for a project that documented the lasting impact of racist attacks on their victims.

The latest episode of “The Daily” is about a wave of anti-transgender legislation in the U.S.

Carole Landry and Sanam Yar contributed. You can reach Melina and the team at briefing@nytimes.com.

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