New York City imposes earlier curfew after violent George Floyd protests; Trump threatens military action

Protests over the death of George Floyd continued overnight, shortly after President Donald Trump threatened to bring in the military if states and cities failed to bring an end to the unrest.

While most demonstrations were peaceful, violent protests took place in New York City, Los Angeles and St. Louis, Missouri after curfews came in nationwide on Monday evening.

Trump, who has condemned the killing of Floyd, angered many as he posed with a bible outside a church shortly after law enforcement officials had cleared a way for him to walk there from the White House Rose Garden by using teargas and rubber bullets.

Floyd, a 46-year-old unarmed black man, died after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes despite cries that he could not breathe.

This live blog has ended. For more of CNBC's coverage on the latest news out of demonstrations across the country, click here. 

4:50 a.m. ET — U.S. protests against police brutality have led to demonstrations in several major cities across the globe, with people heard chanting "I can't breathe" in solidarity with George Floyd. 

Many marched through Sydney, Australia on Tuesday to gather outside the Parliament of New South Wales to protest Indigenous deaths in custody and to support the Black Lives Matter movement. 

Thousands of people have been seen demonstrating in several countries in recent days, with marches taking place in the Netherlands, the U.K., Germany, France, Poland, Canada, Mexico, Brazil and New Zealand, among others. —Sam Meredith

4:20 a.m. ET — Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michel Moore has apologized after suggesting people looting during the protests were also responsible for the death of George Floyd.

"His death is on their hands, as much as it is on those officers. And that is a strong statement," Moore said during a press conference on Monday.

It sparked public outcry, with some calling for the LAPD chief to immediately resign.

Moore issued an apology for his remarks on Tuesday, describing them as "terribly offensive."

"Looting is wrong, but it is not the equivalent of murder and I did not mean to equate the two. I deeply regret and humbly apologize for my characterization," Moore said via Twitter. —Sam Meredith

3 a.m. ET — The Metropolitan Police Department of St. Louis, Missouri said four of its officers were struck by gunfire and have been transported to the hospital. It said all are conscious and breathing, with injuries that are believed to be non-life threatening.

NBC News reported that there were thousands at a rally downtown earlier in the day in largely peaceful demonstrations. NBC affiliate KSDK reported that violence began to breakout after nightfall.

Local newspaper the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that police used tear gas and "flash bangs" before reports of gunfire. —Christine Wang

2:17 a.m. ET — Tensions between local law enforcement and protesters flared intermittently after curfews began across the nation.

Dallas police surrounded and confronted protesters marching across the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge, NBC DFW reported. While the city had issued a 7 p.m. curfew for some areas, the order didn't apply to where protesters began the march or the bridge, according to NBC DFW. Officers fired what appeared to be rubber bullets, NBC DFW said.

In Louisville, Kentucky, police cleared protesters with tear gas and flash bangs after they said they saw weapons in the crowd. Authorities said, however, that protests Monday evening were largely peaceful, which is why they used less force than during previous evenings.

The Seattle Police Department declared the demonstration at Capitol Hill a riot, saying protesters threw rocks, water bottles and fireworks at its officers. 

Earlier, NBC News correspondent Jo Ling Kent was hit by a firework during live broadcast in that neighborhood. — Christine Wang

11:01 p.m. ET — A spokesperson for the New York City Police Department told NBC News there are groups smashing windows and starting street fires in Midtown, downtown, parts of the Upper East Side in Manhattan and Fordham Road in the Bronx.

"There are packs of youths running as fast as they can, smashing windows as fast as they can, and police are trying to catch them as soon as possible," the spokesperson said, adding that NYPD has made more than 200 arrests.

New York City's curfew began at 11 p.m. ET on Monday. — Christine Wang

10:30 p.m. ET — New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said that curfew will begin at 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday, compared with 11 p.m. ET on Monday.

While he said "these protests have power and meaning," de Blasio said some "groups use them to incite violence and destroy property." — Christine Wang

10:20 p.m. ET  — New York Attorney General Letitia James said President Donald Trump "does not have the right to unilaterally deploy U.S. military across American states." She said her office will review federal actions to ensure the protection of the rights of the state of New York.

"The President of the United States is not a dictator, and President Trump does not and will not dominate New York state," she said in a statement.

Earlier, Trump tore into governors on a teleconference call, telling them, "You have to dominate, if you don't dominate you're wasting your time. They're going to run over you, you're going to look like a bunch of jerks," according to audio of the call first obtained by CBS News. (See 12:30 p.m. ET)

James said her office respects and will guard the right to peaceful protest.

"Rest assured: We will not hesitate to go to court to protect our constitutional rights during this time and well into the future," she concluded. — Christine Wang

10 p.m. ET — A Twitter account that had presented itself as representing a national "antifa" organization has been linked to a white nationalist group, NBC News reported citing a Twitter spokesperson. Antifa refers to a network of radical groups which fight the far-right and fascism. Twitter suspended the fake account, citing a tweet which incited violence and violated the company's platform manipulation and spam policy, NBC reported. — Christine Wang

8:30 p.m. ET — Amazon shoppers are buying up self defense items and Black Lives Matter merchandise, according to the site's Best Seller rankings.

Pepper spray was the top-selling item in Amazon's Sports and Outdoors category, while two Black Lives Matter shirts were among the top ten best selling items in the novelty clothing category.

Amazon calculates Best Sellers based on sales volume and updates the list by the hour to reflect recent and historical sales. The rankings show that the protests against police brutality are at the forefront of some consumers' minds, as many of them grapple with the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. —Annie Palmer

8 p.m. ET — President Donald Trump walked over to St. John's Episcopal Church from the White House and held a Bible in front of the church for a few minutes after threatening military action if states and cities were unable to control the violence stemming from the killing of George Floyd.

When asked if Lafayette Park was cleared to accommodate Trump's visit to the church, White House Deputy Press Secretary Judd Deere provided the following statement:

"The perimeter was expanded to help enforce the 7 p.m. curfew in the same area where rioters attempted to burn down one of our nation's most historic churches the night before. Protesters were given three warnings by the U.S. Park Police."  

DC's Episcopal Bishop, Mariann Budde, told the Washington Post she was "outraged" by Trump's photo op in front of St. John's Church, NBC News reported. Budde, who oversees the church, told the Post that neither she nor the rector were asked or told "that they would be clearing with tear gas so they could use one of our churches as a prop, holding a bible, one that declares that 'God is love' and when everything he has said and done is to enflame violence." 

DC Mayor Muriel Bowser tweeted a statement on the clearing of Lafayette Park ahead of Trump's visit to the church:

"I imposed a curfew at 7pm. A full 25 minutes before the curfew & w/o provocation, federal police used munitions on peaceful protestors in front of the White House, an act that will make the job of @DCPoliceDept officers more difficult. Shameful!" —Riya Bhattacharjee

7:30 p.m. ET — The headquarters of tech startup AirMap in Santa Monica were destroyed in a fire as protests spiraled out of control Sunday night, the company's co-founder tweeted. The company is funded by Microsoft, Airbus and Rakuten along with big venture firms including Lux Capital and General Catalyst.

AirMap's technology helps drone operators know where it's safe and legal to fly before they launch. They also offer a service to help first responders monitor what's happening on the ground during natural disasters and other emergencies. Co-founder and chairman of Airmap, Ben Marcus, posted photos on twitter, and the company issued a compassionate statement but declined to further discuss the incident at this time.

Marcus said, in a pair of tweets on Monday: "Last night, the AirMap office in Santa Monica was consumed by fire. Thankfully, nobody was hurt. What hurts is the unending racism & injustice in America. We all must work harder to make our union more perfect. We're all brothers and sisters. Let's treat each other with love, respect, & dignity, and create opportunity for all who choose to make a positive impact." —Lora Kolodny

7 p.m. ET — As protesters demonstrated outside the White House, and police used tear gas to disperse crowds, President Donald Trump threatened to deploy the U.S. military if states and cities failed to quell the demonstrations. 

"I am mobilizing all federal and local resources, civilian and military, to protect the rights of law abiding Americans," Trump said from the White House.

"Today I have strongly recommended to every governor to deploy the National Guard in sufficient numbers that we dominate the streets. Mayors and governors must establish an overwhelming presence until the violence is quelled," Trump said. "If a city or state refuses to take the actions necessary to defend the life and property of their residents, then I will deploy the United States military and quickly solve the problem for them." —Christina Wilkie

6:30 p.m. ET — An independent autopsy commissioned by George Floyd's family found that he died from asphyxiation from sustained pressure on his neck and back applied by Minneapolis police officers.

Floyd's family cited that autopsy Monday in calling for a first-degree murder charge to be lodged against ex-cop Derek Chauvin, the officer already charged with third-degree murder after Floyd died after Chauvin kept his knee on Floyd's neck for more than eight minutes during an arrest. The family also called on prosecutors to criminally charge the three police officers who assisted Chauvin with the arrest, whom they said contributed to Floyd's death.

But hours after a press conference announcing the autopsy findings, the Hennepin County, Minn., Medical Examiner's Office updated the findings of its official autopsy. That report found that Floyd died as a result of cardiopulmonary arrest complicated by police restraining him and compressing his neck. The ME's autopsy noted "other significant conditions" in Floyd, which included "arteriosclerotic and hypertensive heart disease; fentanyl intoxication; recent methamphetamine use."

But Dr. Michael Baden, one of the pathologists who performed the independent autopsy, at a press conference said, "Mr. Floyd had no underlying medical problems that caused or contributed to his death." Ben Crump, a lawyer for Floyd's family, said, "For Chauvin to leave his knee on George's neck despite warnings and evidence that his life was in danger — and to continue that course for many minutes — demands a first-degree murder charge." "For George Floyd, the ambulance was his hearse," Crump said. —Dan Mangan

6:05 p.m. ET — Protests erupting across the U.S. are only adding to retailers' mounting list of challenges in 2020. Scenes from over the weekend and into Monday morning reveal looted Target, Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus stores across the nation. Businesses big and small were hit.

Some companies have since been forced to shut down temporarily, or reduce hours, just as they were getting back on their feet during the coronavirus pandemic. Vandalism covers storefronts up and down some of the nicest shopping districts, including Fifth Avenue, in New York. "It's a national disaster within a national disaster," said Forrester retail analyst Sucharita Kodali.

"You'd have to go to a movie to look for this level of catastrophe."Now, many retail and restaurant CEOs are speaking out on the topic of racial injustice, following the death of George Floyd. A number, including Lowe's, McDonald's and Coach owner Tapestry, have issued statements acknowledging the heightened tension about race relations. Nike made a new add telling people "Don't Do It," when it comes to not acknowledging there is a "problem" in America. Experts say now is the time for retail and restaurant leaders to lead.  —Thomas, Repko, Lucas

5:45 p.m. ET — The Trump administration is considering deploying U.S. military personnel in order to respond to civil unrest spurred by the death of George Floyd by invoking the Insurrection Act.

The decision to use this law, which was last invoked during the 1992 Rodney King riots in California, could come as early as Monday evening.Earlier on Monday, Trump told governor's on a call that he was going to put the nation's highest-ranking military officer "in charge" as the nation entered its seventh day of unrest.

"General Milley is here who's head of Joint Chiefs of Staff, a fighter, a warrior, and a lot of victories and no losses. And he hates to see the way it's being handled in the various states. And I've just put him in charge," Trump told governors, according to audio obtained by NBC. It was not immediately clear what Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff U.S. Army Gen. Mark Milley would be tasked with as it relates to the domestic unrest across the nation. The Pentagon added few details. "The chairman will continue to advise the secretary of Defense," Pentagon spokesperson U.S. Army Lt. Col. Chris Mitchell told CNBC. —Amanda Macias

5:30 p.m. ET — Bozoma Saint John, the chief marketing officer at Endeavor, said on "Closing Bell" she wanted companies to put money behind their recent statements against racial inequality and to make "systematic changes."

"I want to see more corporations put their money where their mouths are," said Saint John, who was previously Uber's chief brand officer. "Of course talk is cheap. Money isn't cheap. Money goes to fuel defense. It goes to fuel action. So I want more corporations to put their money where their mouth is." —Jesse Pound

5: 15 p.m. ET — ViacomCBS networks including MTV, Comedy Central and VH1 ran eight minutes and forty-six seconds of breathing sounds with the words "I can't breathe" to remember George Floyd, who died last week in Minnesota after a white officer pressed a knee into his neck.

MTV, Comedy Central, Paramount Networks, VH1, TV Land, CMT, Logo and MTV partner brands CBS Sports, BET and Nickelodeon ran the spot at 5 p.m. Eastern on Monday.

The company said the video is meant to show support for the Black Lives Matter movement and the fight against police brutality and racial inequality. The video also displayed a way for viewers to text Color of Change, an organization that says it provides online actions and in-person events for people to stand up to racial injustice. —Megan Graham

4:50 p.m. ET — California Gov. Gavin Newsom said there are 7,000 California Highway Patrol officers responding to protests throughout the state and that he's added an additional 1,100 National Guard members to the response, bringing the total to over 4,500.

When asked about a statewide curfew, Newsom said he would leave it up to local leaders to decide whether to institute a curfew since different areas of the state are witnessing different conditions.

"The black community is not responsible for what's happening in this country right now, we are," Newsom said. "Our institutions are responsible. We are accountable to this moment."

Newsom didn't answer when asked whether he's concerned if the protests would lead to a Covid-19 outbreak in California communities but said the state has been conducting thousands of tests daily and will continue doing so even amid the latest challenge. —Noah Higgins-Dunn

4:28 p.m. ET — There's no official federal database of police killings in the U.S., but data collected by independent researchers has shone a light on how many people die each year at the hands of law enforcement.

More than 1,000 people were killed by law enforcement last year, according to Mapping Police Violence, one organization that tracks the data. That's about three people every day. Those killings disproportionately impact black people, who account for nearly a quarter of those killed by the police, despite making up only about 13% of the population. 

The data shows that in 99% of cases, no police officers are ever charged in connection with the killings. That makes George Floyd's case an outlier. Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer who was filmed kneeling on Floyd's neck until he became unresponsive, was charged with third-degree murder on Friday. —Tucker Higgins

4:18 p.m. ET — Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun issued a memo to employees on Friday regarding the death of George Floyd and said the plane manufacturer has zero tolerance for internal discrimination among employees. He added that the company has already terminated employees for engaging in "unacceptable" discriminatory behavior.

"As a leader, I will stand up for those targeted unfairly by others," Calhoun said. "I expect all Boeing leaders to do the same in our company, and I encourage them to do so in their communities as well."

He also listed resources for employees to raise concerns, including a hotline employees can use to report incidents. —Hannah Miller

4:13 p.m. ET — New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced New York City will be under curfew Monday night starting at 11 p.m. and lasting until 5 a.m. Tuesday.

Cuomo said during an interview with WAMC public radio that he and Mayor Bill de Blasio will reexamine whether to renew the curfew in the morning.

The New York City Police Department will also double its presence to help prevent violence and property damage, Cuomo and de Blasio said. The additional reinforcement will be deployed to areas like lower Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn where violence and property damage occurred during weekend protests.

Earlier, Cuomo said he believes the New York Police Department shouldhave enough personnel, but he will call in the state National Guard if they need more backup. —Noah Higgins-Dunn

3:53 p.m. ET — The family of George Floyd, the unarmed black man killed by police in Minneapolis last week, is pushing for a first-degree murder charge to be filed against former cop Derek Chauvin, the officer who was filmed kneeling on Floyd's neck before he died.

The push for a first-degree charge comes after an independent autopsy report revealed that Floyd died of asphyxiation from sustained pressure on his neck and back.

Last week, Chauvin was charged with third-degree murder following the release of an autopsy report that suggested Floyd's underlying heart conditions, in conjunction with the restraint and "potential intoxicants in his system," likely led to his death. Read more on the independent autopsy from CNBC's Dan Mangan. —Yelena Dzhanova 

3:36 p.m. ET — San Francisco Mayor London Breed extended the city's curfew indefinitely after saying that she was not going to tolerate violence in her city, according to the Associated Press.

"I was extremely upset because unfortunately with some of the vandals, they thought this was a game, they thought this was funny," Breed said.

San Francisco Police arrested at least 80 people after widespread looting and vandalism Sunday, some of which targeted the city's Union Square shopping district, with people stealing shoes from the Coach and Salvatore Ferragamo stores, NBC Bay Area reported.

Other Bay Area cities such as San Jose and Oakland have also extended their curfew orders. —Riya Bhattacharjee

3:16 pm ET — Photos from around the country this weekend show the intensity of protests and extent of destruction in some places. Pictures of protesters and police squaring off, huge fires, looting and aggressive arrests illustrate the tension and violence that took place in major U.S. cities. However, other images show peaceful demonstrations, communities working together and protesters wearing face masks in protection against the coronavirus as they demand social justice. —Hannah Miller

3:06 p.m. ET — Miami Mayor Francis Suarez said that protests will set back the city's plans to reopen.

"It sets it back, but it's an ongoing effort," Suarez said on CNBC's "Power Lunch."

Miami has the highest number of Covid-19 cases in Florida. Suarez himself tested positive, although he said he is now in good health. More than 2,000 Floridians have died after contracting the virus.

Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez postponed the reopening of public beaches in the county after the protests. —Amelia Lucas

2:57 p.m. ET — Two executives from Atlantic Records have launched a social media hashtag #TheShowMustBePaused as part of an industry-wide call for a "Blackout Tuesday" in response to the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and "other black citizens at the hands of police."

The blackout calls for the music industry to stop operations on Tuesday to bring awareness to the police brutality and racial injustice in the U.S.

"Tuesday, June 2nd is meant to intentionally disrupt the work week," Brianna Agyemang and Jamila Thomas, senior directors of marketing at Atlantic Records, wrote on Instagram. "The music industry is a multi-billion dollar industry. An industry that has profited predominantly from Black art. Our mission is to hold the industry at large, including major corporations [and] their partners who benefit from the efforts, struggles and successes of Black people accountable."

Among those supporting the Blackout Tuesday message are: Warner Music Group, Interscope Records, RCA Records, Columbia Records, Capitol Music Group and Republic Records. —Sarah Whitten

2:34 p.m. ET — Two Democratic governors, Michigan's Gretchen Whitmer and Jay "J.B." Pritzer condemned President Donald Trump's words about how the nation's governors have handled protests and riots following the police killing of George Floyd.

Whitmer, in a statement after governors had a conference call with Trump, said the president's comments were "dangerous" and "deeply disturbing," while Pritzker said they were "inflammatory" and made the situation "worse."

Whitmer said Trump "repeatedly and viciously attacked governors, who are doing everything they can to keep the peace while fighting a once-in-a-generation global pandemic." 

"The president's dangerous comments should be gravely concerning to all Americans, because they send a clear signal that this administration is determined to sow the seeds of hatred and division, which I fear will only lead to more violence and destruction," she said.

Pritzker told Trump during that call, "I've been extraordinarily concerned about the rhetoric that's been used by you," according to a transcript of their exchange tweeted by New York Times reporter Katie Rogers.

"It's been inflammatory, and it's not okay for that officer to choke George Floyd to death," Pritzker said. "The rhetoric that's coming out of the White House is making it worse." —Dan Mangan, Michael Wayland

2:12 p.m. ET — Uber, Lyft and DoorDash are pausing services in a handful of cities across the nation in order to comply with curfew orders in the wake of demonstrations.

Uber has suspended service in Los Angeles, Oakland, San Francisco and parts of Minneapolis, the company said. Lyft said it is following local guidance to comply with curfews. DoorDash will also pause operations in cities that have curfews in effect. —Jessica Bursztynsky, Deirdre Bosa

1:59 p.m. ET — Several Facebook employees announced they are participating in a "virtual walkout" in protest of the company's decision to not moderate recent posts by President Donald Trump.

Three employees posted on Twitter their participation in the walkout, saying they were disappointed and ashamed in Facebook's leadership for not moderating a Thursday post by Trump in which he said, "when the looting starts, the shooting starts."

The company's community standards state that Facebook will "remove language that incites or facilitates serious violence." —Salvador Rodriguez

1 p.m. ET — Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser said she will impose a 7 p.m. curfew after violent protests over the death of George Floyd caused "significant damage" in her city.

Bowser, a Democrat, had imposed an 11 p.m. curfew on Sunday night, when throngs of protesters clashed with police near the White House. Property damage, multiple fires and dozens of arrests were reported. "We will not allow the continued destruction of our hometown, by people who are coming here to protest or by D.C. residents," Bowser said at a press conference Monday morning, NBC News reported.

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany criticized Bowser on Fox News earlier Monday morning. "The mayor of D.C. didn't issue a curfew until 11 p.m. Well guess what? At 10 p.m., you had St. John's church burning," McEnany said. —Kevin Breuninger

12:30 p.m. ET — President Donald Trump tore into governors on a teleconference call addressing the police killing of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, in Minneapolis last week.

"You have to dominate, if you don't dominate you're wasting your time. They're going to run over you, you're going to look like a bunch of jerks," Trump told the governors, according to audio of the call first obtained by CBS News.

"You've got to arrest people, you have to track people, you have to put them in jail for 10 years and you'll never see this stuff again," Trump continued. Violent protests broke out in several states over the weekend, as the sixth day of protests nationwide continues. Those protesting have been critical of the response by the police, who in some cases have plowed through protesters and allegedly maced a child. —Yelena Dzhanova

12 p.m. ET — Kansas City, Missouri Mayor Quinton Lucas called for governments to work with black-owned businesses more as a way to support equality long-term.

"I think when we talk about American business, one thing that is important is an ongoing and sustained approach to procuring services and supplies from black-owned vendors and black-owned businesses," Lucas said on CNBC's "Squawk on the Street."

Lucas said that in Kansas City the inner-city small businesses were hardest hit by stay-at-home orders because they did not have strong relationships with banks.

The mayor also said that cities need to rethink how they recruit and train police officers to solve "the root" of the problem. —Amelia Lucas

11:30 a.m. ET — Oakland police arrested around 60 people during Sunday night's demonstrations for crimes including shooting at officers, vandalism, looting and illegal possession of firearms, according to NBC Bay Area.

Police also detained three people following a report of shots fired at the department's administrative building. No injuries were reported, according to police. Videos posted on social media showed significant looting, with severe damage to storefronts as protesters faced off with police in riot gear, even as they city's mayor imposed a curfew. —Riya Bhattacharjee

11:19 a.m. ET — Former President Barack Obama penned a blog post advising activists on how to turn the outrage over George Floyd's death at the hands of a police officer into meaningful reform.

Obama said the nationwide demonstrations over Floyd's death made him "hopeful" while condemning the violence and destruction that has grown out of the protests.

The former president urged activists to reject feeling cynical about the importance of voting: "The bottom line is this: if we want to bring about real change, then the choice isn't between protest and politics. We have to do both." Obama worked as a community organizer in Chicago before running for elected office. He has endorsed Joe Biden, his former vice president, in the 2020 election. —Kevin Breuninger

10:09 a.m. ET — The neck restrained used by a Minneapolis police officer to subdue a prone and handcuffed George Floyd is not uncommon for the city's law enforcement. Since early 2015, Minneapolis Police Department officers have rendered people unconscious with neck restraints 44 times, an NBC News analysis found.

Experts told NBC that number appears to be unusually high.

"It's common sense," said Plumas County, California, Deputy Sheriff Ed Obayashi — an attorney and an expert on use of force.  "Any time you cut off someone's airway or block blood flow to the brain, it can lead to serious injury or death as we have seen in so many of these tragedies. By using this tactic, it's a self-fulfilling tragedy." —Terri Cullen

10:07 a.m. ET — As protests erupt across the U.S., officials are sounding the alarm that such mass gatherings could allow the coronavirus spread throughout the population.

"I think there's going to be a lot of challenges coming out of the events of the past week," former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb said in an interview on CNBC's "Squawk Box" on Monday. "One of them's going to be that probably chains of transmission will have gotten lit by large gatherings. I don't think there's really a question about that."

States have eased restrictions meant to curb the spread of the virus in recent weeks, particularly as some studies indicate the virus doesn't spread as easily outdoors. However, the protests present a significantly larger risk to increasing spread of the virus, Gottlieb said.

"This isn't a day at the beach or going out to a picnic where you're outside and you might be in larger groups but there's some social distancing and you're able to take some precautions," he said. "In these kinds of gatherings, in these kinds of crowds, many of which lost control of the crowds, you're not going to be able to take those kinds of precautions." —Will Feuer

Disclosure: Scott Gottlieb is a CNBC contributor and is a member of the boards of Pfizer and biotech company Illumina.

9:54 a.m. ET — In discussing the connection between the coronavirus and the protests stemming from the death of George Floyd, Merck CEO Kenneth Frazier said leaders in the business community can be a "unifying force" and have the ability to create new jobs, CNBC's Amelia Lucas reports.

"Joblessness leads to hopelessness," Frazier told CNBC's "Squawk Box."

"Hopelessness leads to what we see in the streets." More than 41 million Americans have lost their jobs since mid-March amid the economic devastation caused by the pandemic. —Hannah Miller

9:15 a.m. ET — Facebook staff members are speaking out against CEO Mark Zuckerberg after he decided to leave up a post from President Donald Trump that said "when the looting starts, the shooting starts." A post with the same language was flagged by Twitter for "glorifying violence."

One Facebook employee said "Mark is wrong" and another said "doing nothing is unacceptable." 

Facebook rules say speech that inspires or incites violence is forbidden on its platform. However, it is taking no action against Trump's post. —Sam Shead

9:12 a.m. ET — "Now is the time to go big" to keep America from dividing into two separate, unequal societies. That's from Robert Johnson, founder of BET, in an interview with CNBC following a weekend of widespread protests over George Floyd's death at the hands of police officers in Minneapolis.

Decrying inherent racial inequality in America, Johnson called for massive wealth transfer in the form of $14 trillion in reparations for slavery.

"Think about this. Since 200-plus-years or so of slavery, labor taken with no compensation is a wealth transfer. Denial of access to education, which is a primary driver of accumulation of income and wealth, is a wealth transfer," Johnson said. 

Read Matthew Belvedere's full article about Johnson's call for reparations here. —Elisabeth Butler Cordova

Read CNBC's previous coverage of the nationwide demonstrations: U.S. crisis deepens as protests erupt over police brutality amid deadly pandemic and record unemployment